


Poisoned: Recovery

by MidnightBlaze16



Series: Poisoned [2]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: Angst, Even gayer than the first story!, F/F, Fluff, i'm not entirely sure where this story is even going, oh also there's trauma and stuff so that's nice, set 2 years after Pokemon Sun and Moon, the occasional makeout session
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-18
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2018-11-15 14:07:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 33,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11232603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightBlaze16/pseuds/MidnightBlaze16
Summary: It's been a few weeks since Lillie was cured and Faba was inprisoned, and life in Alola is almost back to normal. But for some, it's not so easy to simply forget. Those kind of wounds are too deep not to leave scars.





	1. Chapter 1

It had been a few weeks since what had become known across Alola as ‘the Poison Incident’. It was originally called 'the Tentacle Incident’, but it didn’t take long for Moon and various others to realise how inappropriate that sounded and shut it down.

Moon and Lillie were sitting patiently in the waiting room. Well, Moon was sitting calmly - Lillie was very clearly nervous. She was staring at the floor, avoiding everyone’s gaze, fiddling with her hands. She kept tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, a nervous habit she had formed recently.

Moon put a hand on Lillie’s shoulder, prompting the taller girl to jump slightly before looking at Moon. The trainer gave her a gentle smile, which Lillie returned. She took a deep breath and sat up straight, staring straight ahead.

Footsteps echoed through the corridor behind the counter as three individuals stepped into the room.

“Moon, Lillie!” Hau shouted, running over to them and scooping them into a group hug.

“Eep!”

“Woah - Hau!”

Kahuna Hala laughed heartily as the doctor next to him lifted his glasses and messaged the bridge of his nose. “Please, try to refrain from any kind of strenuous activity,” the doctor advised.

Hau released the two girls turning around and grinning sheepishly. “Sorry, Doc!”

“So, I take it you’re feeling better, Hau?” Lillie asked with a grin.

“Yep! Better than ever!”

“That’s good.” Lillie sighed, a relieved expression flashing across her face before she hid it behind a smile.

“Thank you for all your help, Doctor,” Hala said, putting a hand on the skinny man’s shoulder. “

No problem - it is my job after all,” the doctor gave him a smile before turning to Hau and his friends. “The hospital’s going to seem very quiet without him around.”

Hau ran over to his grandfather. “Hey, is it OK if Moon, Lillie and I head out for some malasadas?”

“Of course! I might join you once I’m done with all the paperwork!” Hala chuckled.

“All right!” Hau ran back to the others, grabbing their arms and practically pulling them along. “C’mon, let’s go!”

“Hau, the doctor said not to run!”

 

 

Moon couldn’t help but smile as the sweetness of the malasada filled her mouth. Lillie was sat next to her, taking small bites of her malasada in order to avoid getting any on her face, while Hau, who was sitting across from her, was practically shoving the treat into his mouth, crumbs falling on his shirt. He swallowed and looked at Moon, who was staring at him with a smug grin. He blushed slightly, scratching the back of his neck with a crumb covered hand. “Hey, cut my some slack! I haven’t had one of these in ages!”

“Moon brought you one in the hospital 3 days ago.”

“That’s different! There’s nothing like savouring a delicious malasada in a restaurant with your two best friends!”

Lillie frowned slightly. “You...still see me as one of your best friends?”

Hau blinked, surprised. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I?”

“Well, it’s just that...” Lillie put down her malasada, glancing downward in shame. “I’m the reason you were in the hospital in the first place.”

“Oh...”

Moon put her hand on Lillie’s shoulder. “Hey, come on, we’ve been over this - it wasn’t your fault.”

“I know, but I still feel guilty!”

“Hey, don’t worry Lillie! Everyone’s fine now!” Hau reassured her. “Everyone’s fine now thanks to that antidote Kukui made!”

It had been agreed to keep Faba’s involvement with the antidote a secret, just in case. As far as anyone knew, Kukui was the one who created it.

“And you didn’t do anything wrong,” Moon added. “It was the poison’s fault, not yours.”

Lillie wiped away the tears that had started to form, giving them both a smile. “Thank you, that helps a lot.”

It didn’t. Lillie felt like the entire incident was her fault - which, admittedly, it kind of was, but at the same time, she was completely innocent. Moon had tried to distract her from the guilt, and it worked, but only for a while. Moon hated it. During her time in Kanto, Lillie had become a powerful Pokemon trainer and had grown much more confident in herself. But now her self-esteem was lower than ever - this time, not from a feeling of worthlessness, but from guilt.

Lillie wasn’t the only one affected by the incident - Moon constantly had nightmares about everything that happened. The bullet wounds from her fight with Faba were still healing, and her neck was still sore sometimes from when Lillie had almost strangled her. Moon would never admit this of course, especially to Lillie - the last thing the blond girl needed was to know that Moon was just as upset as her.

So Moon kept it a secret, hiding behind a smile and comforting words. She knew Lillie needed the support much more than her.

 

 

“Thanks for paying for the malasadas, Hala!”

“Be careful with that wound, Hau. Remember what the doctor said-”

“I know, I know, you’ve told me a thousand times already! Don’t worry about me so much Lillie!”

Hala chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of him. Thanks for walking him home, you two.”

Moon nodded. “No problem.”

“We should probably get going - your mother is going to ask why you’re out so late,” Lillie reminded Moon.

“Yeah, I know...” Moon sighed. “Well, see ya Hau!”

“Take care!”

“You too!”

Moon and Lillie turned and walked away from Hau’s house, taking a calm stroll through Iki Town. The sun was starting to go down, and people were heading home after a long day at work. It was busy, but peaceful at the same time. As the two girls stepped through the gate out of Iki Town, Moon subtly slipped her hand into Lillie’s. The taller girl blushed slightly as she held Moon’s hand, fingers intertwined.

“I still don’t get why you insist on keeping our relationship a secret,” Moon muttered.

Lillie sighed. “I know, I just- I don’t know. I’m just a bit nervous, I guess.”

“About what?”

“I’m not entirely sure - maybe I’m just scared of how they’ll react? I don’t know, I just can’t help but worry that something will go wrong...”

“Hey, don’t think like that,” Moon said reassuringly, stopping to give Lillie kiss on the cheek. “Everything will be fine.”

Lillie smiled, blushing slightly. “Thanks, Moon.”

It didn’t take long for the two of them to reach Moon’s house. Reluctantly, they pulled away, putting a bit of distance between them. Moon slowly walked over to her house, not taking her eyes off Lillie’s emerald ones. “I’ll see you tomorrow, OK?”

Lillie nodded. “Goodnight, Moon.”

“Goodnight.”


	2. Chapter 2

_**Moon could only watch as the tentacles erupted out of her back, her pained screams echoing forever in the trainer’s head. Moon tried to scream out her name, but no sound came out. She reached forward, but her hand immediately came into contact with some kind of invisible wall. Moon pressed her hands against the wall, crying out, but there was no sound. She could only watch as countless Pokemon found themselves impaled or thrown across the field by one of those horrible tentacles. Stabbed, sliced, beaten. Hundreds of innocent Pokemon left in her wake, forming a terrible trail of bodies.** _

_**Moon saw the police cars drive up. One policeman exited the car, megaphone in hand. He shouted into it, but Moon couldn’t hear what he was saying - everything was silent. Whatever he said must have angered her, and she leapt forward, fangs bared. Another police officer exited one of the cars in the back, gun in hand. Moon could only watch as he pulled trigger, the bullet flying through the air, bursting into her chest and out through her back.** _

_**She fell onto the ground, black blood erupting from the wound as Moon desperately screamed her name-** _

 

 

Moon sat up with a gasp, eyes wide open and heart pounding. She grasped at her chest, clutching onto the fabric of her shirt, shaking as she held back tears.

“It was just a dream it was just a dream it was just a dream-deep breaths-”

After a few minutes, Moon could feel her heartbeat start to return to a normal pace. With a sigh, she leaned back, lying on her back and staring at the ceiling, forearm resting on her forehead.

For a moment she just thought. But when she took time to think, memories, vivid images of her nightmares clouded her thoughts, filling her brain. Moon shut her eyes tightly shut as she attempted to banish the thoughts, sitting up again and vigorously shaking her head.

Moon took another deep breath, absentmindedly looking around her room until her phone caught her eye.

She stood up and walked over to her desk, picking up her phone and checking the time.

“‘3:28’...not much use trying to get back to sleep now...”

Sluggishly, she walked back over to her bed, plonking herself down and sitting with her back against the wall, unlocking her phone and opening Skype.

 

[3:29] lillie, you up?

_[3:32] Moon it’s 3 in the morning why are you awake_

[3:33] i could ask you the same thing :P

_[3:34] My phone woke me up when you texted me._

[3:34] oh sorry

_[3:35] You’re not sorry at all!_

[3:35] :P

[3:37] want me to let you sleep?

_[3:38] It’s alright, I’m already wide awake now._

_[3:39] Did you want to talk about something?_

[3:40] nah, just wanted to hang out with you ;)

_[3:41] Normally I would believe something like that, but I can’t help but feel like you’re not telling me everything._

_[3:41] Is something wrong?_

[3:43} no why would there be

_[3:43] Moon_

[3:44] im telling the truth!

_[3:35] Are you sure? Because if something’s bothering you, I want you to tell me._

_[3:47] I trust you, so I want you to trust me as well. You don’t have to hide things from me - if something is bothering you, than just say it. I love you, Moon, and I just want you to be happy. <3_

[3:48] awwwwww

[3:49] jeez when you say stuff like that i get all flustered thats not fair

[3:49] i love you too, and i do trust you lillie, more than i trust anyone else

[3:50] i just dont want you worrying about me

_[3:51] I know. But you need to talk to someone about your feelings sometimes!_

[3:51] yeah youre right. sorry

_[3:52] It’s okay, Moon._

[3:53] should i let you go back to sleep?

_[3:54] No, it’s alright - it’ll take forever for me to go back to sleep now_

_[3:55] Can we just talk for a while?_

[3:56] id love to <3

 

 

A few hours later, Moon made her way downstairs, dressed and ready for the day. She was still tired after being up so early, but still found herself with energy to spare as she took the steps two at a time, jumping over the rail once she got halfway down.

“Moon, I told you not to do that!” her mother scolded. “You’ll get hurt!”

Moon shrugged as she jogged over to the table and sat down, licking her lips at the sight of the massive stack of pancakes on her plate. She reached over the table for the maple syrup, only to find it missing.

“Wha- Meowth no!”

Moon leaned to the side to see her mother’s Meowth sitting on the floor with a half-empty bottle of maple syrup in his lap, syrup all around his face and sticking to his fur. Moon’s mother rushing over and took the bottle from him - much to the Pokemon’s dismay, and handed it to Moon, who had been chuckling the whole time.

Moon took the bottle and smothered her pancake in maple syrup - leaving only a little bit for her mother, much to the woman’s annoyance - before moving the pancake at the top of the pile onto a different part of the plate to make it easier to cut.

 

 

Breakfast passed rather quickly, Moon and her mother making small talk as they ate with Meowth adding the occasional commentary. Once she finished her own breakfast, Moon fed her Pokemon.

“There you go, Nebby,” she said as she scooped some Pokemon food into a bowl in front of the Moone Pokemon. Nebby glared at her and - somehow - pouted and they nudged the bowl away with a wing.

“wha- but you always eat this!”

Nebby crooned, turning their head away and refusing to even acknowledge the Pokemon food in front of them.

Moon sighed as she walked over to the fridge. “Fine - I was going to save this for myself, but I guess you can have it instead,” she complained as she retrieved a sweet malasada she had bought yesterday from the fridge and bringing it over to Nebby. The Lunala’s face lit up and they eagerly took the pastry from Moon, making short work of the treat.

 

 

Moon left her Pokemon to their breakfast as she headed up to her room to grab her backpack, as well as some other supplies.

“Pokeballs, berries, pokebeans, where are those Potion- oh, there they are!” Moon quickly stuffed the aforementioned items into her backpack.

She headed back downstairs to where her mother was washing the dishes. Nebby had finished their malasada and was contently floating in the middle of the room, while Kurone, having already finished his meal, was assisted the woman in drying the dishes. At first, he had been using Flamethrower to dry them off, but Moon had banned him from using moves to do the chores after he almost burned down the house.

“Hm? Going somewhere?” Moon’s mother asked, noticing the backpack.

“Yeah - me and Lillie are gonna hang out today! Figured it might help her deal with the stress of everything that’s been happening lately,” Moon kinda-lied. Most of what she said was true of course, but she had a feeling that saying that she and Lillie were ‘hanging out’ was slightly inaccurate.

Moon didn’t miss the way Kurone and her mother glanced at each other before giving Moon a knowing smirk.

“Just be home by dinner, OK?”

“Sure thing!” Moon returned Kurone to his Pokeball, doing the same with the rest of her Pokemon before walking over to the door, stopping briefly along the way to give Meowth a pat on the head.

“See ya, Mum!”

“Have fun!”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took a bit longer - it's a lot longer than my usual chapters though, so hopefully that helps make up for it.

Moon could barely handle her excitement as she rushed over to Kukui’s lab to pick Lillie up. Despite ‘dating’ for a few weeks now, they hadn’t actually gone on a date yet - they just never got the time. 

She was practically bouncing by the time she got to the lab and knocked on the door eagerly. A few moments later, Kukui opened the door, wearing a dressing gown several sizes too large for him - still leaving his chest for all to see, of course.

“Morning, Moon! You’re up early!” 

“Hi Professor! Is Lillie home?” 

“Yeah, she’s just having a shower. Come on in, Burnet’s making tea,” he invited, stepping aside to allow Moon to enter. 

She rushed inside and sat down on the couch, a huge smile on her face. Kukui grinned. “What’s got you so excited? You've got more energy than a Thunderbolt!” 

“Uh, nothing!” Moon replied way too quickly, frantically waving a hand dismissively.

She almost missed the way Burnet glanced at her from the kitchen.

Kukui followed Moon’s curious gaze and saw Burnet place the teapot on a tray amongst various teacups. She walked over and placed the tray on the coffee table, greeting Moon along the way. She sat down next to her husband and they started to chat, Moon pitching in every once and while. 

It was nice.

While the two professors were years older than her, and certainly much smarter than her, Moon couldn’t help but feel like they were all equals, somehow. When Lillie had first fallen sick, Kukui had gone straight into serious mode, and it only continued to worsen as more time passed without him finding any answers. Burnet had tried to stay positive - whether it was Moon’s sake, Kukui’s fault, or her own - but she couldn’t deny the severity of the situation.

It was nice to see them acting like themselves again. 

The bathroom door was quite squeaky, as Moon had discovered in the past. She turned around as soon as she heard the telltale squeaking, waving. 

“Morning, Lillie!”

“Oh, Moon, you’re here already! Sorry, did you wait long?” Lillie stepped out of the bathroom - fully dressed, thankfully - with a towel wrapped around her neck, her blond hair still dripping wet, causing it to reflect the sunlight that shined through the window as if it was glowing.

Moon couldn’t help but stare.

A few awkward seconds passed. Lillie fidgeted with her towel, Burnet was holding back giggles and Kukui just looked back and forth between the two of them, utterly confused. After a few seconds, Moon realised she was staring and shook her head vigorously, ignoring the heat in her undoubtedly red cheeks.

“Y-yeah, I got here a while ago, it’s OK though I have tea!” she said, not quite shouting, but louder than normal, holding up her teacup to back up her statement. 

“Ah, I see,” Lillie replied, still slightly confused. “I’m going to go pack some things, do you mind waiting a while longer?”

“It’s fine, I have still have some tea left anyway!” 

“I’m so glad we have tea,” Burnet commented as Lillie climbed up to the loft. 

“Tea is great.” Kukui agreed. 

“Tea is kind of a strange word, if you think about it,” Moon added. “Tea.” 

“Tea."

“Tea?”

“Tea!”

“Tea...”

“Teeeeaaaa” 

“TeeEEEAAAAA”

“Oh my god, what are you guys even doing?” Lillie asked, holding back laughter. 

“...” 

“Tea.” 

Unable to hold it back, Lillie burst into uncontrollable laughter, leaning on the loft’s railing as she tried to calm down. This broke down the dam that was holding back Moon’s mirth as well, and before long the lab was filled with the laughter of 2 trainers and 2 professors, Kukui’s Rockruff barking along excitedly. 

  


  


“So, what’s the plan for today?” Lillie asked, holding Moon’s hand as they walked along the road to Hau’oli city. 

“I was thinking we could fly over to Malie city and get some sushi? Maybe hang out in the garden for a while,” Moon suggested. “Honestly, anything you want to do is alright with me.” 

Lillie pouted. “When you say things like that, it just makes it harder for me to decide!”

Moon shrugged, grinning. 

Lillie sighed, staring lovingly at her girlfriend for a moment. “Going to Malie City sounds like a good idea anyway, I actually skipped breakfast this morning...”

“Wait, you skipped breakfast!?” Moon asked, incredulous. “But breakfast is the most important meal of the day!”

“I think you’ve been spending to much time with Hau.”

“That settles it, we’re getting you some sushi right away!” Moon announced, calling a Charizard on her Ride Pager.

“Seriously Moon, it’s fine!” Lillie insisted. “It’s just this one time!"

Moon stared at her blankly, eyebrow raised. 

“...alright so maybe this isn’t the first time I’ve skipped breakfast but still! It’s not a regular thing for me or anything!” 

“I’m still taking you out to eat,” Moon insisted, Charizard flying overhead.

“OK, fine,” Lillie agreed, chuckling at Moon’s stubbornness.

Charizard landed on the ground next to Moon, bending down so she could climb onto his back easier. Moon dramatically bowed, waving her hand before motioning at the saddle on the Pokemon’s back. “Your carriage awaits, Princess.” 

Lillie giggled as she climbed onto Charizard’s back, holding out a hand and helping Moon up. “Come, my brave knight! We shall fly across the land in search of the missing artefact known to the world as ‘sushi’!” 

“Alright then! Onwards, my lady!” 

  


  


The atmosphere at Sushi High Roller was peaceful, quiet and light, a refreshing change from the bustling tourism location that Alola had become in recent years. It was much quieter than the malasada shop Lillie usually frequented - mostly after being dragged there by Hau - but no less popular. People spoke in low voices, having calm conversations as the restaurant’s Kantonian aesthetic gave off a serene vibe. 

“Thank you for taking me here, Moon.” 

“No problem!” Moon replied, looking over the menu. “I figured you might wanna go somewhere quiet and relaxing, so...” 

Lillie smiled. For as brash and reckless as Moon could be sometimes, she had a heart of gold, always putting others before herself. It was the trainer’s kindness that Lillie had fallen in love with. 

A waiter approached them, and they both made their orders. Lillie had simply asked for a small plate of sushi and a bowl of rice, while Moon opted for a huge bowl of noodles and a large plate of sashimi for the two to share. 

For a few moments, the two of them sat in companionable silence, simply taking in the atmosphere of the restaurant. Slowly, Moon reached over the table, putting her hand on top of Lillie’s. The blond girl turned to her, blushing slightly as she wrapped her own hand around Moon’s. 

“You know what, Moon?” 

“What?” 

“I think...” Lillie took a deep breath. “I think I might be ready to tell others about...us.” She quickly back-pedalled, waving her free hand nervously. “N-not everyone of course! Just the professors, and Hau and maybe Gladion...”

Moon smiled, eyes shining in the soft lighting of the restaurant. “That’s great! Hey, come to think of it, isn’t Gladion coming back to visit soon?”

As Lusamine’s condition had gradually improved, Gladion had offered to take care of her for a while so that Lillie could return to Alola. Lillie had been resistant to the idea at first, but Gladion insisted on taking responsibility as the older sibling. He still visited fairly often, and was able to stay for longer periods of time as Lusamine continued to get more stable over time. 

Lillie nodded. “Yes - in fact, he’s due to arrive a few days from now.” 

The waiter returned, carrying a large plate of sashimi. He placed in on the table in between the two, saying that the rest of their food was on the way before leaving to tend to another table. 

Lillie thanked him before glancing back at her girlfriend, who was practically drooling as she stared that the food like a Pyroar would stare at a particularly large piece of meat. Lillie found herself questioning whether they actually needed so much sashimi as she carefully placed a few pieces on her plate.

For a while, they simply enjoyed their food as they waited for the rest of their meal to arrive. Lillie found she could hardly blame Moon for ordering so much - this sashimi was delicious! She found herself tempted to eat much of the plate, but she wanted to leave enough room for her sushi and rice - an issue that didn’t seem to bother Moon as she shovelled countless pieces of fish into her mouth. Moon looked up briefly to see Lillie staring at her with a bemused smirk on her face.

“W-what?” 

Lillie simply shook her head as she leaned forward to wipe a bit of fish off her face - thumb brushing over the other girl’s lips - before gently caressing her cheek.

“You’re adorable, you know that?” 

Moon didn’t think she could possibly get any redder as she lowered her head and continued eating, suddenly finding the carpet very interesting as she tried to keep her cool, much to Lillie’s amusement. 

When Lillie giggled at her antics, like the soft tingling of a wind chime on a breezy day, Moon felt herself fall even more in love with this girl.

  


  


After an absolutely delicious meal, the couple decided to go for a walk in Malie Garden. They sat down on the river bank, watching Pokemon swimming underneath the smooth surface. 

They had decided to let their Pokemon out to play for a while - Nebby had been overjoyed to spent some time with the two trainers who had practically raised them, and even happier to be able to hang out with some of the trainers’ other Pokemon. Right now, they were hovering above the lake with Lillie’s Meowth, Whiskers, sitting on their shoulder, the two appearing to be having a conversation.

Kurone and Lillie’s Kantonian Ninetails, Fireball, seemed to be having a friendly argument about something - something that was common between them. When they first met, they had fought quite a lot, but found themselves becoming close friends over time. Mystic, Lillie’s Espeon, was also listening to the conversation, providing input from time to time.

Chisana, Moon’s Pikachu, was playing a game of hide and seek with Moon’s Umbreon, Shinku, and her Mimikyu, Kakusu, along with Lillie’s Kantonian Raichu, Sparky. Moon’s Toucannon, Tsubasa, observed as she perched on the shoulder of Lillie’s Blastoise, Tank, with Lillie’s Pidgeot, Sky, on the other shoulder. 

So basically, two of the regions strongest Pokemon trainers had released 12 powerful Pokemon - one of which being a legendary - in the middle of a peaceful park. The locals were generally used to it by now - Moon often came here to let her Pokemon get some fresh air - however the Kantonian variants of Alolan Pokemon did catch some people’s eye. Luckily, Fireball and Sparky didn’t mind the attention, and Whiskers absolutely revelled in it. 

Moon couldn’t be happier. Here she was, feeling satisfied after a delicious meal, watching her Pokemon enjoying themselves, sitting next to the one she loved most. Yawning, she leaned to the side, laying her head in Lillie’s lap. After a few moments, she felt Lillie gently stroke her hair and smiled. She hadn’t felt this relaxed in a long time, and eventually, she felt herself gently drift off to sleep.

  


  


Moon was roused from her slumber by what felt like something rubbing up against her head. 

“Whiskers, no! You’ll wake up Moon- what, Kurone, not you too!” Moon slowly opened her eyes, rolling over to look up at Lillie. She looked around and noted that she was still laying on the taller girl’s lap, with Whiskers and Kurone attempting to do the same, bumping their heads against the trainer’s. Moon couldn’t help but chuckle at their antics. 

“Sorry, Moon - I tried to keep them away, but...” Lillie trailed off, giving her a sheepish smile. 

“It’s cool - guess you’re just really popular with cat Pokemon.”

“Are you calling yourself a cat?” 

“I guess? Do you think I act like one?”

“Now that I think about it, you kind of do.”

“Huh.” 

Moon looked back up at the sky, and noticed that the sun had now risen to it’s peak. If she recalled correctly, it had only been about 10AM when they left Sushi High Roller.

“Sorry, your legs must be getting numb by now, right?” Moon muttered. “Do you want me to get up?"

Lillie shook her head. “I don’t mind. You can stay if you want.” “

You’re not bored?”

“I brought my phone, so I’ve been listening to music. It’s quite calming,” Lillie replied, pointing to her earphones. “Do you wanna listen?” 

“Sure.” 

Lillie removed an earbud, Moon taking it from her and putting it into her own ear as Lillie started the song. It was a calm song - slow, with the primary instrument being an acoustic guitar. The lyrics were actually quite sad, bittersweet almost. Moon heard Lillie start to quietly sing along. Her soft voice matched the song perfectly, and Moon couldn’t help but feel that she preferred it to the original singer’s. 

Of course, she might be kinda biased.

She was tempted to fall back to sleep, but she forced herself to stay awake, not wanting to miss out on spending any more time with her girlfriend. She looked up and saw Lillie gazing at her affectionately. For a moment, she met her gaze, before closing her eyes and leaning forward slightly. Lillie leaned down to meet her, and their lips connected for a few seconds in a gentle kiss. 

“Hey, Lillie?” 

“Hm?”

“I really love you.” 

Lillie turned away slightly as her cheeks turned pink. She leant down and gave Moon a kiss on the forehead. “I love you too.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if the ending feels kinda rushed, it was 12:30AM and my mother was yelling at me to go to bed

Hau was literally bouncing up and down, barely able to contain his excitement. Wingull soared high above, waves splashing against the rocks as Moon, Lillie and Hau waited at the Marina for a boat from Kanto.

“Hau, please calm down, you’re going to pull out your stitches if you keep bouncing around that that!”

“I think you might be exaggerating just a little-” Moon’s comment was cut off by a glare from Lillie, before she went back to lecturing Hau.

“I get that you’re excited to see Gladion again, but you’ve still only been out of the hospital for a few days! You need to be careful!”

“It’s been almost a week-”

“Still!”

Moon put a hand on Lillie’s shoulder. “It’s OK - I know you’re worried about him but a little jumping won’t hurt him.”

“I know, I just...”

“I know. It’s alright.”

“Hey guys, I think I see the boat!” Hau exclaimed, rushing across the dock and gazing out into the ocean at the approaching ship.

It wasn’t a small boat, but it wasn’t awfully big either. It was built with the intention of transporting people from one place to another, not to provide comfort for them. It was painted a dull white, bits of paint scratched off revealing the rusty metal beneath. On the deck was a single cabin filled with rows upon rows of seats, visible through the cabin’s large windows. Wingull perched on the roof of the cabin, only to fly away in shock when the boat’s horn went off, signalling it’s arrival.

The small ship pulled up at the Marina, gates opening and a ramp placed to allow passengers to comfortably deboard.

Moments after stepping off the ramp, Gladion found himself lifted off the ground, being spun in the air by an enthusiastic kahuna-in-training, his arms pinned to his sides.

“GLADION I’M SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU IT’S BEEN SO LONG SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!”

“HAU LET ME GO”

“HAU NO YOU’RE GONNA PULL YOUR STITCHES OUT”

Moon simply shook her head and chuckled. “Gladion, you should know by now that it’s easiest to just embrace it.”

Gladion glared daggers at the Champion as Hau gently put him down. “What was that about stitches?”

“Well, um, you see...” Hau trailed off, not sure how to explain.

Moon saw the guilt flash across Lillie’s eyes and was quick to change the subject. “It’s a long story, ANYWAY why don’t we go get some malasadas? Gladion hasn’t been in Alola for a few months now after all!” she suggested.

“Great idea Moon!” Hau shouted, previous question now forgotten as he grabbed Gladion’s arm. “Come on, let’s go!”

“I can walk by myself!”

“Hau, I told you not to run- he’s not listening is he?”

“Nope.”

 

 

Moon couldn’t help get a feeling of deja vu from the whole situation. Only a few days ago, she and Lillie had sat at this very table to welcome Hau home from the hospital, and now the group was welcoming Gladion back the same way.

“I mean, it sounds dangerous, but wrestling a Tauros is actually really fun! But then Grandpa told me to stop in case I hurt myself again-”

“Wait, again?” Lillie cut Hau off.

“W-well, uh- I um,” Hau rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “I actually pulled out some of my stitches the other day while training with Decidueye and had to go the hospital to get them fixed-”

“HAU”

“I’m sorry!”

“That reminds me - how exactly did you get those stitches?” Gladion asked. “You keep avoiding the topic.”

“Um...I was, uh-”

“Don’t suppose it has to do with this ‘Poison Incident’ I’ve heard so much about?”

“H-how did you-”

“You didn’t know? It was big news all around the world when it was happening - a whole bunch of regions were preparing themselves for an attack,” Gladion explained.

“Oh...” Lillie looked away, hunched over, holding back tears.

Moon’s heart ached at the sight as she put a hand on the girls shoulder, looking at Hau before motioning towards Gladion. Hau nodded in understanding, taking Gladion outside to explain the situation to him away from any eavesdroppers.

As soon as she was sure no-one was looking at them, Moon pulled Lillie into a tight embrace. The blond girl snuggled closer, clutching onto Moon’s shirt as she cried. Moon ran her fingers through Lillie’s soft hair, lightly kissing her forehead, whispering words of support; “It’s alright, it wasn’t your fault, don’t blame yourself, don’t cry.”

After a few minutes, Moon pulled away slightly, meeting Lillie’s eyes. “You OK?”

Lillie nodded weakly. “I think so.”

They reluctantly separated, Lillie wiping her eyes with a napkin. Moon wanted to offer a handkerchief or something, but unfortunately didn’t have anything like that on her.

Moments later, the boys returned, Gladion looking more sheepish than Moon had ever seen him. For a few seconds, the four of them sat in silence.

“Sorry,” Gladion muttered. “I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

“It’s fine - you didn’t know.”

The topic was quickly changed, and the group spent about an hour happily conversing while enjoying some delicious malasadas - or, in Gladion’s case, unenthusiastically participating in conversations if only to humour the rest of the group while drinking a soda.

 

 

After finishing their food, the group left the shop to stroll around Hau’oli city for a while. It was a relatively slow day for the normally bustling city, but still pretty busy by average standards. The blue sky was mostly clear, with only a couple of stray wispy clouds floating along, although a bank of dark grey clouds could be seen forming in the distance.

At one point, while Moon and Lillie were having a conversation amongst themselves, Hau stopped, holding an arm to stop Gladion as well. When the older boy opened his mouth to ask what he was doing, Hau put a finger over his lips with a wink. Gladion raised an eyebrow questioningly, put decided to go along with it.

The girls hadn’t noticed them stop, too caught up in their own conversation to notice. Once the girls were a couple of feet ahead, Hau cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted as loud as he could; “THE FLOOR IS LAVA!”

Gladion jumped onto the bench next to him, face unchanging, as Hau jumped up onto a railing. A few other pedestrians scrambled for a place to stand, mostly opting for railings or benches - one woman desperately grabbed onto a telephone pole, holding on for dear life.

Hau had planned his trap well. Where Moon was standing, there were barely any places above the ground, all of which were occupied by other citizens or tourists. She could try and make a run for the wall about 12 metres away, but she knew she’d never make it before Hau finished counting down.

She was about to just go for it when suddenly Lillie decided to jump on her back.

“Lillie - what, why?!”

“I’m sorry Moon, you’ll have to sacrifice yourself for me!”

“WHAT NO”

Moon tried to shake her off for a moment, but Lillie held on tight, wrapping her arms around Moon’s neck and her legs around Moon’s waist.

“3...2...1! Time’s up!”

Moon hung her head in resignation, knowing she had lost. People hopped down from their safe spots, continuing whatever they were doing before the floor had spontaneously become lava. Moon felt Lillie jump off her back, hearing her soft giggles.

“Sorry Moon, but it had to be done!”

“Well, at least I died for a noble cause,” Moon sighed. “I suppose a knight must be prepared to die for her Princess.”

“Again with the princess thing?”

Meanwhile, Hau was absolutely losing it. Gladion even cracked a small grin at the whole exchange.

“Aw man, I wish I’d recorded that!”

“Hau why have you forsaken me”

Lillie gazed up at the sky and noticed the dark clouds growing closer. “Guys, we should probably head home soon...”

“You’re right.” Gladion agreed. “I also need to get to a motel before they close.”

“Aww, but we haven’t even been able to hang out with you that much!”

“Hau it’s been more than 6 hours since I arrived in Alola.”

“6 hours is a very small amount of time!”

Moon approached Lillie, who was nervously tucking her hair behind her ear. “Do you wanna tell them now?” Moon asked quietly, already knowing the answer.

Lillie nodded. “U-um, guys?”

“Hmm? What’s up?” Hau asked, turning to face them, Gladion doing the same.

“Well, Moon and I have something to tell you...” Lillie started, fidgeting, shifting her weight from one foot to another. “You see, we, um...”

Moon moved to stand by her side, holding her hand. When Lillie turned to her, she nodded with a soft smile, squeezing the blond girl’s hand in support. Lillie took a deep breath before looking back to her brother and friend. “We’re, um...we’re dating!”

For a few seconds, no-one said anything. Moon could tell that Lillie was regretting this decision, and was ready to make up an excuse to get them away from the boys when Hau broke the silence.

“That’s awesome! I’m so happy for you!”

“R-really? You don’t think it’s - I don’t know, weird?” Lillie asked.

“Of course not!”

Moon’s heart soared with relief as Hau vocalised his support, releasing a breath that she didn’t know she had been holding.

Then she turned to Gladion, and her heart sunk right back into the pit of her stomach as he glared at her. If looks could kill, Moon would've already died, returned as a ghost and died again.

Moon was about to say something when the older boy closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He opened them and looked at Lillie.

“Are you happy with her?”

“Yes,” Lillie replied, moving closer to Moon so their shoulders were touching. “Very happy.”

Gladion sighed. “Then...I guess it’s fine.” He looked back over at Moon. “If you ever even think about hurting her, then I’ll give you brain damage so bad you won’t be able to think at all anymore.”

Moon hastily nodded - knowing Gladion, that could be a very real threat.

“Anyway, I should probably go now-”

“Hey, wait! I have an idea!” Hau interrupted, eyes shining. Moon could practically see the lightbulb above his head. “You should stay with me and my Grandpa! We’ve got a really big house and everything so you won’t have to worry about taking up space!”

“I don’t think that’s-”

“Come on, it’ll be really fun! I’ve got a bunch of sour malasadas for Silvally and everything!”

“It’s easiest just to say yes when he gets like this,” Moon added.

“Yeah, I know...ugh, fine!” Gladion groaned.

 

 

After saying goodbye to Hau and a reluctant Gladion, Moon and Lillie began to make their way home, walking hand-in-hand.

“See? That wasn’t so bad!”

“It did go significantly better than I expected,”

“What did you expect?”

“Well, I certainly didn’t expect Gladion to let your go without at least a couple of punches or a Pokemon battle!”

Moon chuckled, her laughter cut off by a single raindrop landing on her nose. She looked up and noticed that the dark clouds from earlier now covered the entire sky as far as the eye could see as it slowly began to drizzle.

Lillie was already starting to dread the inevitably long walk home when she found herself being pulled along by the hand.

“Moon?”

“My house is only a few streets away! We can stay there!” The rain continued to get heavier as they ran, puddles forming at their feet. Luckily, it didn’t take long to reach Moon’s house and duck inside, away from the rain.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long, I've been really busy lately with school and some personal issues, but I'm trying to get back into writing regularly!

“Welcome home, Moon- oh, Lillie! What a pleasant surprise!” Moon’s mother greeted from the kitchen.

“Hello, ma’am!” 

“Hey, uh, do you mind if Lillie stays here for a while?” Moon asked. “It’s raining pretty hard out there, so...”

“Of course!” Moon’s mother replied with a smirk. “Make yourself at home!”

“Thank you so much!” Lillie said as she took off her wet shoes before stepping any further than the doorway.

It was then than Moon realised just how wet Lillie had gotten. Her hair was dripping wet and her clothes were soaked. Moon was grateful that Lillie was wearing a dark hoodie over her white shirt, or else it would’ve been very easy to see through said shirt. And that would be very awkward.

“I’ll run a bath for you,” Moon offered after swapping her sneakers for slippers.

“You don’t need to do that-”

“Of course I do! You’re totally soaked, I can’t just leave you like that!”

“You’re just as wet though! At least give yourself a bath first...”

“I’m fine, I’m used to it-”

“Why don’t you just share a bath?” Moon’s mother suggested, eyebrow raised with a huge smirk on her face.

“MUM NO” Moon shouted, cheeks burning. She noticed that Lillie wasn’t faring much better - the girl had completely frozen, her face redder than a tamato berry. The older woman simply laughed, relishing in the girls’ embarrassment.

“You know what, I’ll just go first,” Moon groaned, rushing into the bathroom to escape the awkwardness.

Silence filled the room for a few moments as Lillie stood in the doorway, fidgeting with her hands as she felt the Moon’s mother’s eyes on her.

“So, you’re dating my daughter, huh?” 

“W-what, no, where’d you get that idea-”

“Please, you know what Moon’s like. She’s not exactly what you’d call subtle.”

“But-”

“I’m her mother, you think I can’t tell when she’s trying to keep a secret?”

“...sorry.” Lillie gazed down, staring at the floor.

“What are you apologising for?”

“I-I don’t know, I just- I don’t know...”

Moon’s mother sighed as she walked over to Lillie, wrapping her arms around her in a gentle hug. When Lillie didn’t pull away, she pulled the girl closer.

“You did nothing wrong. You have nothing to apologise for.”

“I know, I just-”

“I know, it’s alright...”

 

After around 15 minutes later, Moon left the bathroom dressed in a simple blue and white shirt and blue pants, hair still slightly damp. She gazed over to the couch where her girlfriend and mother were sitting together on the couch, the older woman resting her hand on Lillie’s shoulder. Upon looking closely, Moon noticed tear stains on Lillie’s face, but decided not to say anything about it.

She headed into her bedroom and fetched some warm pyjamas for Lillie to change into and brought then back out to her.

She stood by the couch for a few moments, but went unnoticed as Lillie gazed downward, holding her legs to her chest. Moon cleared her throat and looked at the TV.

“Jeez, what’s so interesting that it can distract you two so much?” Moon joked.

“Oh, sorry, Moon, I was just thinking,” Lillie apologised hurriedly.

Moon gave her another concerned look before smiling at her. “It’s cool, don’t worry about it. The bath’s free, I brought you some clothes to change into,” she said, adjusting her hold on the clothes.

“Ah, thank you!” Lillie said as she stood up and took the pyjamas, giving Moon a quick kiss on the cheek before heading into the bathroom. 

All was silent for a few seconds as Moon’s mother smirked at her and she felt her cheeks heating up.

“I-it’s not what it-”

“Don’t worry, Lillie already told me.” the older woman cut her off with a soft smile.

“Oh...OK.”

Moon removed the towel that Lillie had been sitting on and plopped onto the couch, putting her arms behind her head and crossing one leg over the other, head tilted up slightly.

“...why was she crying?” Moon eventually asked.

Moon heard her mother sigh. “I knew you would notice...”

A few seconds passed in silence. Moon was getting impatient - she knew her mother was trying to put off talking about it.

“She was blaming herself again, wasn’t she?”

“Sort of. She kept apologising for things she shouldn’t be apologising for. Like she’d done something wrong,” the woman replied. “Wait, again?”

“Yeah,” Moon leaned forward, crossing her legs on the couch and resting her hand on her knee, her elbow on the other as she held her face in her other hand. “This whole poison thing hasn’t exactly been good for her mental health.”

Moon didn’t elaborate any further, and her mother didn’t ask her to.

 

Half an hour later, Lillie left the bathroom to see Moon standing at the kitchen counter and - was she crying?

“Moon, what’s wrong?” Lillie asked, rushing over to her side.

“I-it’s nothing don-don’t worry,” Moon replied, wiping away tears. “I’m j-just cutting onions, s-see?”

Lillie gazed down at the counter where, sure enough, Moon had placed down her knife next to a half of an onion sitting next to around 7 pieces of sliced onion. Even now, Lillie could feel her eyes burning as they started to water.

“S-sorry,” he said, embarrassed. 

“Hey, d-don’t worry about it,” Moon said, picking up her knife again.

Lillie nodded. “So, what are you cooking?” she asked, eager to change the subject.

“Spaghetti bolognese,” Moon replied. “It’s pretty much the only thing I know how to make on my own,” she added sheepishly.

“Bolognese is a type of pasta sauce, correct?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you want me to help?”

“You don’t have to-” Moon lifted her head, shutting her mouth when she saw the look her girlfriend was giving her. “OK, fine, you can help,” she said. “Could you fetch me some garlic? It’s in the cupboard second to the right, where we keep the potatoes and Pokemon food.”

Lillie rushed over, knowing exactly which cupboard she meant, having helped Moon feed her Pokemon in the past. After searching the cupboard for a few moments, she found the garlic, bringing a bulb over to Moon, who had just finished dicing the onions into small pieces.

Moon thanked her as she took the garlic, removing 2 cloves and pushing the side of the knife’s blade against them, squashing them and making it easier to tear off the papery skin. Lillie watched as Moon diced the garlic cloves up similarly to the onions, but even smaller. She pushed the garlic and onions into a single pile, along with some herbs she had cooked earlier. 

“Hey, could you stir that pasta for me?” Moon asked.

“Sure!” Lillie nodded, enthusiastically, bolting over to the stove and stirring the still fairly stiff pasta.

Moon walked over next to her, placing a smaller pot on the burner next to the one with the pasta, pouring some olive oil into the pot and turning on the burner. She walked back over to the counter where she was cutting the herbs, onion and garlic, returning a few moments later with the ingredients scooped up in her hands and dropping them into the pot. They started sizzling immediately and Moon was quick to grab a wooden spoon from the counter next to her and moving them around so they wouldn’t fry.

She let them cook for a moment, and looked over at Lillie, who was slowly stirring the spaghetti with a huge smile on her face.

“What’s got you so cheerful?” Moon asked, reaching over for the mince that she had placed on the bench next to her and dropping it into the pot. She used the wooden spoon to break up the mince into smaller pieces and continued to stir it along with the onion and garlic.

“Sorry, it’s just that...well, I’ve never done this before...”

“Cooked spaghetti?”

“Cooked anything.”

“Oh, right, you probably had a whole kitchen staff making food for you,” Moon picked up a can of Tamato purée and a can opener. “Must have been nice - like living in a five-star restaurant!”

“Well, Mother was rather...restricting when it came to food,” Lillie replied. “But the food was pretty nice. I think I prefer this though.”

“What do you mean?” Moon asked, pouring half of the can of purée into the sauce and continuing to stir.

“Well, doesn’t homemade food always taste best?” Lillie asked. “And making it is fun as well.”

“True,” Moon agreed, reaching up for the salt shaker and sprinkling a small handful of it into the sauce. She gazed over into the larger pot, where Lillie was still stirring the spaghetti (it really didn’t need to be stirred that much - it’s only so that it doesn’t stick together - but Lillie didn’t need to know that).

Moon leaned over and studied the pasta for a few seconds, taking the spaghetti spoon Lillie had been using to stir and picking up a few pieces of spaghetti. She blew on them for a bit before picking up one noodle, dropping the others back into the pocket, and biting off the end of it.

“I think it’s ready,” Moon commented once she swallowed, holding out the spaghetti. “What do you think?”

Lillie took the spaghetti and ate it, focusing on the taste and texture, before swallowing. “It tastes great!”

Moon nodded in agreement, turning off the burner and lifting the pot off the stove, placing it next to the sink. She fetched a colander from a cupboard and placed it into the sink, picking up the pot and pouring it’s contents into the colander, the water draining into the sink.

She turned around, about to suggest that they test the sauce next, only to find that Lillie had beaten her to the punch as she stood next to the pot, a teaspoon in her mouth, a bit of sauce on her lip. She hurriedly hid her hands - and the spoon - behind her back, chuckling innocently.

Moon chuckled. “How is it?”

“It’s amazing!” Lillie replied, eyes shining. “Do you wanna try it?” she offered, holding the spoon out to her girlfriend.

Moon grinned as she stepped closer, ignoring the spoon and favour of wrapping her arms around Lillie’s waist as she pressed her lips against Lillie’s. Lillie dropped the teaspoon in surprise before kissing back, holding Moon close. About a minute later, Moon pulled away slightly and licked the sauce off Lillie’s lip before pulling away and licking her own lips.

“Tastes great!”

Lillie turns away slightly, trying to hide her burning face, much to Moon’s amusement.

 

Moon had just finished serving the spaghetti into 3 bowls when her mother came through the door, carrying a plastic shopping bag in one hand and an umbrella in the other.

“Hi Mum!”

“Welcome back!” Lillie added, muttering “I didn’t even notice her leave...” under her breath.

“You’re just in time - we just finished making dinner,” Moon said, putting down the spaghetti spoon and walking around the counter to take the plastic bag from her mother and place it on the counter, the older women placing the umbrella in it’s holder before walking over to the table and sitting down.

“Smells great, girls!”

Lillie sat down across from Moon’s mother as Moon brought two bowls of steaming spaghetti, topped with healthy amounts of already melting cheese, each with a fork sticking out. A few seconds later, Moon came back with her own bowl and sat next to her mother, who had already started eating.

“Uh...Moon?”

“Yeah?”

“Not to be rude but...HOW MUCH CHEESE DO YOU NEED?”

While the other two had been given a fairly average amount of cheese, Moon’s spaghetti was pretty much completely covered with it.

“Moon always gives herself way too much cheese,” Moon’s mother explained. “I tell her not to, but she doesn’t listen.”

“I LIKE CHEESE, OK?” Moon defended herself, slightly embarrassed.

“Jeez...” Lillie sighed, twisting some spaghetti onto her fork and lifting it into her mouth.

“Wow, this is delicious!” she commenting, eyes practically glowing as she shovelled more pasta into her mouth.

“I can see that,” Moon chuckled at Lillie’s uncharacteristic lack of composure.

Lillie paused, fork still in her mouth. She swallowed and set the fork down gently, wiping her mouth with a napkin sheepishly with a small blush. She proceeded to continue eating much slower, taking smaller bites.

“Seriously though, thanks a lot,” Moon replied. “But y’know, you helped a lot too.”

“I didn’t do that much...”

“C’mon, give yourself some credit!” Moon encouraged. “I bet you could be a great cook, with a bit of practice.”

“You really think so?” Lillie asked, looking down at her pasta.

“She’s right,” Moon’s mother agreed. “I bet you’d make a great housewife,” she added giving Moon a look, receiving an embarrassed glare in return.

Lillie smiled sadly, watching mother and daughter interact. Her own mother had never been that friendly with her - even before she lost her father and became obsessed with the Ultra Beasts, Lusamine had always been kind of distant from her children.

Moon looked over and, noticing the somber look in her eyes, gave Lillie a concerned look, asking if she was alright. Lillie smiled, reassuring her girlfriend that everything’s OK, but the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that, my friends, is how to make spaghetti bolognese (or at least the way I might).


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUESS WHO'S BACK
> 
> BACK AGAIN
> 
> Yeah sorry about the absence, I have no idea when the next chapter will come out but hopefully it should be soon. Enjoy!

Dinner passed without further incident, and after feeding their Pokemon, Moon and Lillie headed to bed for the night.

Moon sat on the bed as Lillie removed her hair tie, placing it in her backpack. She rummaged around for a bit before pulling our a hair brush.

“You keep a hair brush in your backpack?” Moon asked as Lillie sat next to her and began brushing her hair.

“You never know when you might need one!” Lillie said defensively, pouting.

Moon shrugged, leaning back with her hands behind her head. “I wouldn’t know, I never brush my hair anyway.” “

Seriously?”

“Seriously.” Moon glanced at Lillie before winking, giving her a finger gun. “Hashtag-Woke-Up-Like-This baby~”

“Moon, you dork!” Lillie giggled as she gave Moon a light shove, the trainer laughing in response.

“I mean, I guess I rinse my hair in the shower every morning but I only really wash it every few days.”

“Really? You don’t style it or anything?”

“Nope.”

“It’s so soft though! And it doesn’t even look greasy or anything!”

“Guess I’m just lucky to have naturally good hair!” Moon bragged, as if she actually cared about this at all before Lillie brought it up.

“Lucky...I have to wash mine every day, and it gets messy really easily...”

“I think it’s nice...actually...”

“Hmm?”

“Could I try brushing it..?” Moon asked sheepishly.

Lillie’s eyes lit up. “Of course! And then I can do your hair!”

“I-I’m not sure that’s necessary-”

“Of course it is! Doing each other’s hair is one of the big things you do at sleepovers! At least, according to a book I read once...”

“R-right...you’ve never really done anything like this, have you?” Moon muttered.

“Y-yeah...” Lillie smiled sadly for a moment before giving Moon a bright smile. “But, it’s not like that anymore! I have great friends and a loving girlfriend to have sleepovers with, so it’s OK!”

Moon smiled and moved closer to Lillie, kissing her on the cheek. “Yeah, you do.”

Lillie turned her head so that her forehead was resting against Moon’s. She closed her eyes and smiled, placing her hand on Moon’s. Moon leaned forward to give her a quick kiss.

 

 

_**Screaming.** _

_**Screams echoed in her ears, bloody forms surrounding her. She couldn’t recognise any of them, she didn’t know who or what they were but she knew they were dead, that she killed them. She wanted to escape but she had no control, she didn’t want this it was a nightmare but she felt happy but deep down she didn’t she wanted it to stop pleASE STOP STOP IT PLEASE STOP-** _

Lillie’s eyes shot open, a strangled gasp escaping from her throat. She felt a twinge of fear upon waking up in unfamiliar surroundings before recognising it as Moon’s room. She turned back to her side to see her girlfriend fast asleep, drooling slightly as her arms were wrapped loosely around Lillie’s waist. Lillie sighed as she forced her body to relax. She looked back at Moon and, after shifting a bit, pulled her closer.

“mmm...Princess..?” Moon murmured, half-asleep.

“Sorry, did I wake you up?”

“It’s fine...” Moon tightened her grip on Lillie, pulling her closer and nuzzling into her neck. “You OK?”

“Yes, everything’s fine,” Lillie smiled, returning Moon’s embrace and resting her head on top of the trainer’s. “Thank you.”

“No prob...”

“Go back to sleep, Moon.”

“OK...g’night...”

“Goodnight, Moon.”

After that, Lillie had the most peaceful sleep she’d had in months.

 

 

A ray of sunlight shone through Moon’s bedroom window, falling onto Lillie’s face and disturbing her from her slumber. She opened her emerald eyes and glanced up to see Moon gazing lovingly at her.

“Good morning, Princess.”

Lillie blushed, smiling back. “Good morning...were you watching me sleeping?”

“It sounds a lot more creepy when you say it like that but basically.”

Lillie giggled as she sat up, stretching her arms above her head before looking back at Moon. “Are you going to get up?”

“Eventually...”

“Moon...”

Moon let out an exaggerated groan as she pulled the blanket over her head, curling up under the covers.

“Moon, it’s time to wake up~” Lillie said, pulling the covers down so Moon could look out.

“Nooooooooo,” she grabbed the blanket back and pulled it back over her head.

Lillie giggled. “Alright, get up.”

“Do I have tooooo?”

“Yes. Your princess commands you to.”

“Fine...” Moon removed the blanket from her head, rubbing her eyes as she woke up properly and turning to Lillie. Her gentle loving gaze was soon replaced with one of mirth as she covered her mouth, body shaking as she held back laughter.

“W-what? What is it?”

“You - pfft - you weren’t lying when you said your hair gets really messy!”

Lillie blushed, embarrassed. She crossed her arms with a pout. “Not everyone can have perfect hair like yours...”

“Come on...” Moon put her hand on Lillie’s shoulder and gave her a peck on the lips. “You’re beautiful anyway.”

Lillie smiled, pulling Moon into a hug. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too, my Princess~”


	7. Chapter 7

After another 10 minutes of back-and-forth, followed by 5 minutes being literally being dragged across the floor by her girlfriend, Moon managed to make it downstairs where her mother was getting some eggs from the fridge.

“Good morning, girls!”

“Good morning, ma’am!” Lillie greeted cheerily. Moon just groaned and gave her mother a thumbs up.

“Well, someone’s tired,” Moon’s mother responded, indignation in her voice. “I guess she won’t be awake enough for this bacon I was going to cook especially for her...”

Moon’s tired eyes lit up. “Bacon?”

Lillie giggled at her girlfriend’s silliness as she pulled her by the hand to the dining table. Moon pulled her hand away from Lillie’s to pull out her chair with an exaggerated bow. Lillie rolled her eyes and took a seat, Moon sitting across from her.

“So, did you two sleep well last night?” Moon’s mother asked as she placed some bacon in the pan.

“Yep! Lillie woke me up for a little bit but she cuddled up to me for the rest of the night so I’m not complaining~”

“MOON”

Moon chuckled at the blonde’s red face, Lillie pouting in response. “Well you’re the one who pulled me closer in the first place!”

Now it was Moon’s turn to pout. “Whatever...”

Moon’s mother laughed. “I always knew you two would make a cute couple!”

“MUM”

“Well, it’s true! You’ve always been easy to read - I’ve known you liked her since before you became Champion!”

“Wait, Moon really liked me for that long?” Lillie asked, surprised.

“Mum no don’t you dare-”

“She did - she had it bad too! You should’ve heard her after you changed your hairstyle and clothes that first time, she wouldn’t stop talking about you!”

“Mum please-”

“She kept saying how pretty you were, how cute your little ‘Z-Move’ pose is, how great you looked in that skirt-”

“OK THAT’S ENOUGH”

Lillie and Moon’s mother burst into laughter as Moon face planted into the table, her cheeks burning. After a a few minutes, their laughter died down.

“Moon would do something like that...” Lillie said, gazing lovingly down at the trainer and lighting stroking her hair. Moon instinctively tilted her head towards her, leaning into her hand.

Moon’s nose twitched and she looked up just as her mother brought over 2 plates of bacon and eggs. Her mood improves immediately and she sat up and grabbed the knife and fork, immediately going to town on the bacon. 

After watching Moon with a significant level of confusion as to how she could possibly eat so damn fast, Lillie started to eat her own breakfast.

“By the way, Lillie, you should join us later,” Moon’s mother said as she sat down with her own plate.

“Join you for what?”

Moon swallowed a huge mouthful of food. “We’re going shopping for Halloween decorations and costumes! We’re gonna ask Hau to join us too!”

“Halloween...Oh! That’s the holiday where people dress up and get candy, right?”

“Wait, you...you never celebrated Halloween?” Moon asked, incredulous.

“W-well, mother didn’t really let us leave Aether Paradise...” Lillie explained, sheepish. “When my Dad was around he would put up decorations in the visitor areas but apart from that we never did much. Mother didn’t like us eating candy either, but Dad sometimes gave us some behind her back...”

Moon and her mother shared a glance before looking back at Lillie.

“In that case, we’ll just have to make up for lost time!” Moon exclaimed, a fire burning in her eyes.

“W-wait, Moon-”

“We’re gonna completely deck the house out in decorations! And the best candy!”

“Moon-”

“And have all the best costumes - those little kids with their lame store-bought ninja costumes are gonna be so jealous...” Moon chuckled evilly, fire burning in her eyes as Lillie watched, slightly scared.

“There’s no getting through to it when she gets like this,” Moon mother said with an exasperated smile.

“IDEA!!” Moon turned an ran over to Lillie, eyes shining. “We should get matching costumes!”

“M-matching costumes?”

“Yeah! Like as a couple thing!”

“E-eh?”

“I’m gonna call Hau and let him know our plans, I’ll be back in five minutes!” Moon bolted up the stairs, leaving Lillie confused and slightly scared.

 

“You...really like Halloween, huh?”

Moon looked over at Lillie, swallowing the candy in her mouth. “Of course I do! It’s amazing!” she said, fists clenched in enthusiasm as she bounced in the car seat. “Everything’s really spooky and cool and you get to dress up in fun costumes and at the end you get candy!”

“I guess I just don’t get what’s so exciting about it...”

“That’s because you never really got to experience it! Trust me, after this Halloween you’ll completely understand!”

“R-right...”

The car pulled to a stop outside Hau’s house and Moon hopped out, rushing onto the porch out of the rain and knocking on the door. Hau stepped out wearing an orange hoodie with a black skull on the front, which matched Moon’s black hoodie with an orange skull on the front. They did their secret handshake (it goes for like 3 minutes at this point) and headed back to the car. Lillie moved over to the middle so that Hau could sit on the left and Moon on the right. 

“Where are we going?” Lillie asked as she subconsciously leant against Moon, who put her arm around her shoulder.

“We’re heading to the Hau’oli shopping district - Hau knows all the best shops for Halloween decorations,” Moon explained. 

“Plus there’s a bunch of great food places there!” Hau added.

“Oh yeah! You remember that one steak place?”

“Yessss it was so good!”

“How are you both so fit when you eat so much?” Lillie asked.

“Because we exercise a lot, duh!” Hau answered.

“Don’t you see these guns?” Moon asked, flexing and waggling her eyebrows. Lillie just facepalmed, quietly laughing and holding back a blush.

Moon just smiled fondly before kissing her cheek and snuggling into her shoulder. Lillie held back a laugh and rested her head on Moon’s, holding her hand.

“You two are so gay.”

“Hau shut up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I plan on making 2 more Halloween based chapters (although I might have to merge them into 1) so look out for those :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't had the time to read over this for mistakes so I apologise in advance

As it was every year, the shopping centre had been appropriately decorated for the spooky season. All manner of purple, green, orange and black ballons and streamers hung from the ceiling and the railings, fake skeletons hanging from the walls. The staff had let out their ghost and dark type Pokemon, who hovered about, fixing or adding decorations, entertaining children or just watching people go about their business. 

Lillie felt a little bit out of depth with everything, but Moon and Hau knew exactly what they were doing as they pulled Lillie into a general store towards a section covered in cheap Halloween decorations.

“Wow, they really went all out this year!” Hau exclaimed, rushing forward. He grabbed a devil mask off the shelf holding up to his face. “BLEARRGH”

Moon laughed, and after a moment of confusion, Lillie started to giggle too. 

“Come on you guys, don’t make me do all the work!”

“OK, OK, we’re coming!” Moon shouted as Hau ran off to look at more decorations (Lillie had given up on getting him to stop running around by this point). 

She took Lillie’s hand and turned to her with a soft, reassuring smile. “I get that this is all new to you, but it’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”

Lillie blinked, surprised that Moon had noticed how out of depth she felt. She smiled and squeezed her girlfriend’s hand, kissing her cheek. “I’ll be fine, thank you.”

Moon took a minute to compose herself for responding. “Well, just, let me know if you need to take a break, alright?”

Lillie nodded before leading Moon forward. “Come on! We don’t want to make Hau impatient, do we?”

The three of them spent ages looking through the 3 aisles that housed Halloween decorations and costume parts, ranging from generic devil tridents to elaborate costumes to Halloween-y Pokemon plushies and decorations. Though she felt out of her depth at first, Lillie soon found herself relaxing, and even having fun, laughing at Hau and Moon’s antics and getting into the Halloween spirit. 

“RAAARGH!!” Hau roared, a Pyroar mask over his head and giant paw-gloves on his hands.

“Oh no, there’s no escape!” Moon cried out, playing along.

“Whatever shall we do?” Lillie fell dramatically to lean on Moon, one arm covering her eyes.

“Please Mr. Pyroar, there must be something we can do to make you spare us!”

“GIVE ME ALL YOUR MALASADAAAAAS”

“No,” Lillie deadpanned, whacking him lightly on the head with a plastic knife. “You literally had like 8 yesterday. You’re going to get yourself sick.”

Hau visibly drooped, knocking that his pout wouldn’t be seen through the mask. “Fine...”

Hau took off the mask and put it back on the shelf. Moon followed his gaze as she noticed a fake crown a bit further down. She reached up and grabbed it before bringing it over to Lillie and placing it on her head.

“A crown for my Princess~”

Lillie blushed before smiling, wrapping her arms around Moon’s neck and pulling her closer. “My knight~”

Moon pouted, blushing like mad as her hands automatically went to hold the blonde’s waist. “You just did that to one-up me didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“eeeeeEEEEEEEEEE”

Moon and Lillie turned to look at Hau, who was positively glowing as a high-pitched squeal escaped his throat.

“S-sorry to third-wheel you there, Hau,” Moon apologised, sheepish.

“Are you kidding!?” Hau exclaimed. “This is so cute! You guys are so precious!”

Moon just chuckled sheepishly as Lillie gave her a sly look, before tugging lightly at Moon’s collar. The trainer turned back to her girlfriend in confusion before Lillie pulled her close, connecting her lips with Moon’s. Moon blinked, shocked that Lillie would initiate a kiss like that, but immediately reciprocated, pulling her girlfriend closer.

Lillie was the first to pull away, giving Moon a wink that made the trainer’s legs feel like jelly. “J-jeez...feeling flirtatious today, huh?”

“Guess you’re just a bad influence on me.”

Upon noticing his silence, Moon turned to Hau and was slightly frightened by the size of his smile.

“Uh...Hau?”

“THAT WAS SO CUTE AND ALSO I JUST HAD A GREAT IDEA!!!”

 

The trio left the general store nearly an hour later, carrying a total of 7 bags full of Halloween decorations and costume pieces - that’s 7 more bags than they entered with. After looking around for a bit, Moon spotted her mother sitting inside a cafe with some kind of drink. Moon led the others inside and sat down in the booth with Lillie next to her, Hau sitting next to her mum across from her.

“So, I see you three bought a lot,” Moon’s mother pointed out, skeptical. 

Moon just waved her off. “It’s fine, it’s fine, I’m the Pokemon Champion! I’m loaded!”

“I suppose that’s true...” the older woman sighed. “I keep forgetting that Pokemon battling actually pays very well...”

Moon smirked proudly as she grabbed a menu and looked over it, Lillie glancing over her shoulder to look at it.

Moon’s eyes lit up. “They have the seasonal drinks!” 

“That’s a thing?” 

“Yeah - they do it at Christmas too!” Moon shoved the menu into Lillie’s face. “You gotta try one!”

“Alright, alright, I will!” Lillie giggled taking the menu from the trainer and looking over it. “Hmm...I’ll have the Vampire Frappuccino and a slice of vanilla cake.”

“Want me to go up and get the drinks?” Hau offered. “Since I’m on the outside of the booth and I actually know what I’m doing.”

“Hey! I can order a couple of coffees!” Lillie rebutted, pouting and ignoring as Moon lightly poked her puffed up cheeks with a ‘boop!’. 

“Thank you for offering, Hau,” Moon’s mother said.

“No problem - I’ll be back!”

“W-wait, what about Moon’s-”

“It’s fine,” Moon cut Lillie off with a grin. “He knows my order off by heart.”

About 10 minutes later, Hau returned with a tray containing 3 drinks and 2 plates of food, along with a basket of fries. He put it down on the table and handed the drinks out, placing one plate in front of Lillie and other in front of his own seat and sitting down.

Moon immediately took a swig of her drink, sighing in bliss. “Ahhh~ I love Halloween...”

“You’re only saying that cuz you get to have Pumpkin Spice Lattes,” Hau commented as he took a bite of his choc-chip muffin. “You’re so predictable, Moon.” 

“Like you’re one to talk, Mr. Malasada,” Moon retorted, sticking her tongue out.

Lillie rolled her eyes as she took a sip of her own drink. “Oh wow, this is really good!”

“Can I try?” Moon asked, leaning over. Lillie pushed her drink towards her and Moon took a long sip from the same straw Lillie had used. “Wow, that is really good!”

“Maybe you could get that next time instead of the most expensive drink on the menu,” Moon’s mother said.

“Hey, this kind of perfection is worth every scent!” Moon said, taking another sip before holding it out to Lillie. “Wanna try mine too?”

Lillie took the cup from Moon and had a sip of her own. “Moon’s right, this is delicious!”

Moon turned back to her mother smugly.

“Awww, look at the cute couple, sharing drinks!” Hau teased, making the couple in question look away from each other, slightly embarassed. 

“So, how much did you manage to get done?” Moon’s mother asked as she took a frie from the basket.

“Well, we’ve got a whole bunch of decorations, though a few more wouldn’t hurt,” Moon said, listing the items off on her fingers. “We’ve got some candy but it wouldn’t hurt to stock up on some more candy and chocolate, and we’ve some parts of our costumes.”

“So you figured out what your costumes are going to be?”

“Yep! It was Hau’s idea,” Moon said, taking 3 fries at once from the basket and eating them all in one mouthful as Lillie silently scolded her. Moon swallowed the fries, and chuckled nerbously, withering under her girlfriend’s glare.

“That’s great! And all in record time too,” the older woman remarked.

“You know what they say - 3 heads are better than 2!” Hau added.

For a few moments, the group sat in comfortable silence, quietly eating or drinking as the sounds of the cafe filled the quiet, the aroma of coffee wafting through the air.

“Moon?” Lillie muttered.

“Hmm?”

“Thank you.”

Moon, blinked, surprised. “I mean, you’re welcome, but what for?”

“Everything,” Lillie chuckled. “Bringing me with you, making me feel included, making sure I get the full Halloween experience, everything, just...thank you.”

“Of course,” Moon smiled softly.

Lillie leaned forward, lightly kissing Moon on the lips. “I love you so much.”

Moon wrapped her arm around Lillie’s, intertwining their fingers she she moved closer to her girlfriend. “I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to guess the costumes (though I won't be confirming or denying anything)! The next chapter will come out on Halloween! (unless something comes up but it won't be long after Halloween)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween! Thanks for the guesses - You guys had a lot of really cool ideas that I definitely want to try and implement/reference in later chapters!

Moon knocked on the door to Kukui’s lab, holding a bucket to keep the candy in, Hau next to her with his own candy bucket. A few seconds later, the door was opened by Burnet.

“Trick or treat!” Hau exclaimed.

“We’re here to escort the princess around the island tonight,” Moon said with a flourish and an over-exaggerated bow. 

“I’ll let Lillie know you’re here,” Burnet giggled as she reached over to the bowl, grabbing large fistfuls of chocolates and putting one handful in each bucket before heading inside to fetch Lillie.

Hau bounced on his heels, the bells on his jester hat ringing with every little movement. Moon fiddled with the plastic sword on her belt.

The door opened again, and Lillie stepped out, saying goodbye to Burnet and Kukui before turning to Moon and Hau.

She wore a light blue dress that came to just above her knees, the fabric adorned with various patterns in both darker and lighter shades of blue. She wore light blue heels and white gloves that went up to her elbows and there was a golden necklace with an Ice Stone embedded in it. To top off the look was the crown that Moon had found the other day.

The visor on Moon’s helmet flipped up comically as she gaped at Lillie, eyes wide and filled with wonder as she stared at this girl, this goddess that she was lucky enough to have by her side.

“WOOOW LILLIE, YOU LOOK GREAT!” Hau exclaimed, beaming.

“Thank you, Hau,” Lillie replied bashfully, “Um...Moon? Are you alright?”

“I knew you would look good in that dress but I didn’t expect you to look that good.”

Lillie blushed, turning her head to the side slightly before looking back at Moon with a bashful smile. “W-well, you look quite dashing as well...” With a sudden boost of confidence, Lillie stepped closer and leaned forward. “My handsome knight~”

Moon’s face flushed as she stood up straight, one hand on her hip as she flipped down her visor. “R-right, well, shall we set off?”

Lillie giggled as she walked over to stand next to Moon, taking her gloved hand and dragging the trainer behind her as Hau ran after them. “We shall!”

 

“Trick or treat!”

Gladion gave the medieval-themed trio an unamused look as he rolled his eyes, reaching over for a bowl filled with candy and putting them in all of their buckets. Moon squinted suspiciously as she was sure that Gladion has put more candy in Lillie’s bucket than her’s and Hau’s.

“I swear, you three are more enthusiastic about this than some of the 8 year olds I’ve seen tonight,” the blond said.

Hau pouted. “I still don’t see why you refused to come with us!”

Gladion opened his mouth to say something, but was immediately barrelled over as Silvally ran past him to greet the trio, tackling Hau to the ground and licking his face. Lillie ran over and petted them, prompting the Synthetic Pokemon to snuggle up against her, licking her face until it was covered in just as much slobber as Hau’s. 

“Silvally, no!”

It was then that Moon noticed the costume that Silvally was wearing and burst into laughter.

“What’s so funny?” Gladion asked with a glare.

“Y-you dressed your Silvally a-as Cerberus!?” Moon exclaimed through her laughter. 

Gladion looked away and crossed his arms, embarrassed. “L-look, it was Hau’s idea, alright! We...thought it might be cool for some of the kids...”

“Huh...that’s pretty cool of you.”

“Yeah...” Gladion sighed, “Hey uh, thanks for doing all this.”

Moon turned to Gladion, confused. “For what?”

“F-for Lillie, I mean...” When Moon gave him a look, he elaborated. “I’m sure you already know this, but she’s never been able to do anything like this...and you spent time and money making sure that she felt included...so, thanks.”

Moon blinked, surprised for a moment, before smiling at him. “Of course! What kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn’t?”

Gladion stared at her for a second before turning away, hands in pockets as he tried to hide his embarrassment. “Lillie...chose well.”

Moon stared in shock for a few moments. “T-thanks...”

Silvally ran up to Gladion, jumping up onto him and licking him before running back inside, Moon laughing.

“Moon, come on!” Hau shouted, half way down the driveway. “The night’s only just started and we’ve got tons of candy to get!”

“Right, coming!” Moon ran back to the group, glancing back at Gladion once she reached them.

“Lillie,” Gladion called out.

“What is it?”

“...Have fun.”

Lillie ran up to her brother, hugging him tightly. He flinched before reluctantly returning the embrace.

“Thank you, Gladion.”

She pulled away without another word and ran back over to Moon, taking her hand. “Bye Gladion! I’ll see you later!”

Gladion waved. “See ya...”

 

A couple hours later, buckets nearly overflowing with candy, the trio decided to take a break and rest their legs before heading back to Iki Town for the Halloween party. They came to rest on a bench facing Hau’oli beach, placing their buckets either next to them or on the floor. Hau fished out a piece of candy and started to unwrap it as Moon took off her helmet, wiping away sweat.

Lillie took one look at Moon and burst into laughter, much to Moon’s confusion.

“What?”

Lillie reached up and ruffled Moon’s hair. “Helmet hair.”

“H-hey!” You’re gonna make it worse!” Moon chuckled, tilting her head towards Lillie.

“I’m surprised you managed to find such a good costume,” Lillie commented as she decided to give Moon a chance to fix up her hair (or at least make it look a little bit less like a hedgehog). 

“I know right!” Hau exclaimed, pointing at his red and green vest, “Especially this jester outfit!”

“Yeah, it really suits you,” Moon commented before turning to Lillie, “Almost as much as that dress suits you.”

“I know, you made it very clear earlier,” Lillie teased, prompting Moon to look away with a blush.

Lillie leaned her head on Moon’s shoulder with a relaxed sigh, closing her eyes.

“Lillie?”

“I’m tired...can I rest here for a bit?”

“Y-yeah, of course you can.”

“Thank you...” Lillie yawned, clearly on the verge of falling asleep. “...Love you Moon...”

Moon lifted her arm and wrapped it around her girlfriend, pulling her closer.”I love you too, Lillie.”

She gazed at her affectionately for a moment as the blonde snuggled against her before turning to Hau, who was sitting on her other side, and beckoning him over. He pointed to himself, surprised.

“M-me?”

“You’re our friend too, right?” Moon stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. With a wide smile, Hau hopped over, looping one arm around the back of Moon’s neck to rest his hand on Lillie’s shoulder and removing his hat with the other hand, resting his head on her chest.

“...you know the metal armour makes this a lot less comfortable.”


	10. Chapter 10

Lillie nervously traced the rim of her mug with her finger as she sat by the window. Her hot chocolate was more of a lukewarm chocolate at this point, and she was beginning to grow concerned. She took out her phone, but there were still no new messages.

She sighed as she put it away, staring outside the window as people passed by on the street. People had started to dress warmer - winter was well on it’s way, and even the tropical Melemele Island would grow chilly late in the year.

The door swung open, cold air rushing in as a boy dressed in dark clothes entered. He swiftly walked over to the counter and ordered a drink, walking over to Lillie and sitting across from her a few minutes later.

“Sorry I’m late,” he said, half-heartedly.

“Gladion!” Lillie smiled at him, before it changed into a pout. “What took you so long?”

“Hau. He insisted that I ‘wasn’t dressed warm enough’," Gladion groaned, removing a scarf and a thick coat and placing it next to him on the booth, leaving on a thin black jacket.

“Of course...”

A waitress walked over with Gladion’s drink, placing it on the table with a smile.

“Enjoy!”

“Yeah, thanks,” Gladion droned indifferently, picking up the mug. 

Lillie glared at him before reaching into her bag and fishing out 50 Pokedollars and placing them on the waitress’ tray. 

“F-for me?” the young woman asked, surprised.

Lillie nodded with a smile. The waitress’ eyes lit up as she pocketed the coins, thanking Lillie again before heading back into the kitchen.

“You’re too nice, you know that?”

Lillie turned back to her brother with a pout. “At least I’m not a grouch like you. And besides,” she sat up straight with a smug smile. “I’ve earned quite a bit of money from Pokemon battling these past couple of years.”

Gladion rolled his eyes, a small grin on his face. “If you say so.”

The siblings sat in silence for a few minutes, taking sips of their drinks and gazing out the window, enjoying each other’s company.

Gladion sighed. “So, how’ve you been?”

“I’ve been good!” Lillie smiled. “Moon’s been helping me train more, Hau’s getting better-”

“That’s not what I meant.” Gladion cut her off.

Lillie sighed, looking at her reflection in her drink. “I know.”

Gladion took a sip of his coffee. “Look, I know you don’t like talking about this, but it’s important. If these nightmares get any worse-”

“I know, I know...”

“Lillie,” Gladion placed a hand on top of his sister’s. “It’s alright. You went through a lot, some PTSD is expected. You’re coping a lot better than I thought you would.”

“Mhm.”

Gladion leaned back, crossing his arms on the table. “Have you told Moon yet?”

Lillie shook her head. “She worries enough as it is, I don’t want to make things worse...”

“She’s going to find out somehow. And she’s not gonna be happy that you’ve kept this from her.”

“I know.”

The siblings sat in an awkward silence for a few moments.

“Sorry...”

“I’m really sorry-”

Both siblings trailed off as they realised they had both apologised at the same time. Lillie giggled a bit, Gladion shaking his head with a soft chuckle.

“Jeez...you’ve got nothing to be sorry for,” he said. “I shouldn’t have made you talk about it-”

“N-no, no!” Lillie cut him off, waving her hands in front of him. She placed her hands around her cup as she leaned back with a sigh. “I overreacted, I should be sorry. You’re right, I do need to tell Moon about all this...”

“You sure?”

Lillie nodded. Gladion knew she’d made her mind - she was clearly nervous, her fingers tapping on the mug as her expression wavered slightly, but her eyes shone with a special kind of determination that Gladion had only ever seen in his sister’s eyes.

“Heh,” Gladion leaned back too. “Good to hear it.”

 

“So, what’s up?” Moon asked, switching off the TV. “Not that I don’t appreciate you coming over, but I can tell something’s on your mind.”

“H-heh,” Lillie sighed. “Guess I can’t keep anything from you, huh?”

“Nope!” Moon shuffled closer, putting an arm around her girlfriend’s shoulder. “So, what’s on your mind?”

Lillie sighed. “Look, Moon...there’s something I haven’t been telling you, and I’ve been hiding it for a while now, but...”

Moon sat up straight, putting both feet on the floor and moving her hand from the blonde’s shoulder. Moon placed her hand on top of Lillie’s pale ones, which were crossed atop her waist. 

“What is it?” Moon asked, tone serious.

“It’s...um...” Lillie hesitated. “I’m not quite sure how to say it...”

“Take your time.”

Lillie took a few deep breaths. “Alright...the truth is...I’ve been having these thoughts, these nightmares, just these-these flashes, of things that happened or didn’t happen or- or maybe happened? I don’t know, but it’s, it’s hard for me to be able to even sleep with all these thoughts and horrible dreams and- I don’t know how to put it into words, but I just-”

“Hey, hey, it’s OK,” Moon spoke softly, squeezing Lillie’s hand and leaning in close. “It’s alright, you don’t have to say anymore, I understand.”

“You do?”

Moon nodded. “I have nightmares too, y’know.”

Lillie’s heart sunk into her stomach. “You do?”

“Yeah...” Moon suddenly realised how her words could be misinterpreted. “N-Not about you- I mean yes about you, but you’re not the scary part of it!”

“What do you mean?”

“The nightmares usually change every night, but there’s always this one theme. Something will happen to you, and I’m always stuck just watching, never being able to do anything, frozen in my spot or stuck behind a wall or whatever. I try to speak to you, but either you don’t hear me, or I can’t make any sound,” Moon sighed. “I always feel so helpless, so useless...and that’s how I felt when it actually happened...”

“Moon...” Lillie laid her head on Moon’s shoulder, wrapping an arm around her waist. “You do so much for me, don’t ever feel like it’s not enough.”

“Lillie...” Moon held her close. “Thanks...and let me know if these nightmares ever bother you again, OK? I wanna be there for you.”

“Only if you do the same when you have nightmares.”

“OK, fine. Deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay - I've been having a lot of issues in real life and with my mental health lately and haven't gotten the chance to write. The next chapter is already partly written so it should be uploaded soon, but no promises. Thanks for understanding!

_**Running. Could it be called running? She was on all fours, moving at a rapid pace, so that would mean she was running. She was chasing...something. She wasn’t sure what. She could hear it’s footsteps as it ran from her, leaving a trail of blood behind it - the same blood coating her own tentacle.** _

_**She saw a wall coming up ahead, her prey standing against it. A dead end. She grinned wickedly as it clutched it’s arm, staring at her in terror as she stood up, swaying before rushing at it, fangs bared, meeting her prey’s ~~girlfriend’s~~ eyes as her tentacles plunged through it’s body-** _

 

 

Lillie’s eyes snapped open as she jolted awake, her heart pounding as she desperately tried to slow her breathing with little success, clutching the bedsheets with one hand and her shirt with the other, her throat dry, she was overwhelmed she hurt her, she hurt her she was a monster a moNSTER-

Lillie suddenly noticed the small Pokemon head-butting her hand.

Upon realising his trainer had noticed him, Mystic stepped back, gazing up at Lillie. She stared at him, confused, scared to touch him, she didn’t want to hurt him-

Mystic stepped onto Lillie’s lap, standing on his hind legs, his front paws on her shoulder. He pressed his head against hers, the red gem on his head glowing slightly. Lillie felt herself calm down a little bit, slowly moving a shaky hand to hold her Espeon closer as she let herself cry freely.

Mystic snuggled closer, wrapping his twin tails around his trainer’s arm. He was never an affectionate Pokemon, but he knew that Lillie needed the support, so he endured the dampness on his back as Lillie cried into his fur.

Her heartbeat a lot steadier, Lillie let Mystic go, stroking his back gently. “T-thank you,” she murmured in a shaky voice as she wiped her eyes.

Mystic blinked at her before walking around the bed and sitting next to her, resting his tails against her back as Lillie grabbed her phone from the nightstand.

 

_[4:57] Moon? Are you awake?_

_[4:58] No, of course you’re not, you wouldn’t be._

_[4:58] I don’t why I thought you would be._

_[4:59] This was not a good idea, just ignore these messages when you wake up._

 

Lillie sighed, putting down her phone, wiping her eyes. She felt Mystic’s glowing violet eyes staring at her - a normal person would think it creepy, but Lillie knew he was just concerned. She gave him a soft smile and stroked his back again, silent tears still falling down her face despite her having calmed down significantly.

Suddenly, her phone dinged.

 

[5:04] i’M AWAKE I’M AWAKE

[5:04] LILLIE HOLY FUCK WHAT HAPPENED ARE YOU OK

[5:05] LILLIE ANSWER PLAESE

[5:06] I’m here, Moon.

[5:06] OH THANK FUCK

[5:07] DONT DO THAT YOU WORRIED ME

_[5:08] I’m sorry._

[5:09] no its

[5:09] dont worry about it

[5:10] whats up

[5:12] lillie?

_[5:13] I had a nightmare._

[5:14] ill be right over

_[5:14] What? Moon, what do you mean?_

_[5:16] Moon? Are you there?_

 

Lillie stared at the phone for a few more minutes before turning it off, turning her attention back to Mystic, who had curled up and fallen asleep in front of her.

Suddenly there was a loud thump on the window, scaring Lillie out of her skin and prompting Mystic to immediately bolt under the bed.

Lillie looked over to the window to see her girlfriend right outside, holding one finger over her lips and mouthing ‘quiet’ while motioning at the lock on the window. Next to her was a shadowy figure with glowing red eyes and yellow stripes - her Umbreon, most likely.

Confused, Lillie immediately got up to let Moon in. The trainer slid inside as soon as it was open, Shinku following. Lillie slowly closed the window again before turning to her unexpected visitors - Moon watching Shinku as he attempted to get Mystic to come out.

“Moon? What are you doing-” Lillie was cut off as Moon swiftly wrapped her arms around her and pulled her into a tight embrace, pulling back a few seconds later to give her a kiss on the forehead.

“Are you OK?” Moon whispered.

“I...Y-yes, I’m fine,” Lillie replied, bashful. “You...really didn’t have to come over, you know...”

Moon pouted. “But I wanted to.”

A few moments passed in silence as Lillie gazed into Moon’s eyes, failing to block out the image of those same eyes filled with terror and betrayal in her nightmare. Evidently, Moon noticed.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

After a few moments of thinking, Lillie shook her head. “I’m alright...I just...don’t want to talk about it.”

Moon smiled, dragging Lillie over to the window where she came in. “It sounds like what you need is a distraction.”

“But-”

“Don’t worry! Mum won’t mind having you over, and you can always leave a note for the professors.”

Lillie gazed towards the professor’s bedroom, then at Mystic, who walked past her, wrapping his tail around her legs as he went, sitting next next to the window. “Well...alright, just give me five minutes to change.”

 

 

Five minutes later, Lillie stepped outside her window to stand on the roof next to Moon (along with Shinku and Mystic), who had been waiting there for her to change into something more comfortable - a simple hoodie and sweatpants. She had left her hair down, simply brushing it so that it wasn’t a horrendous mess like it always is when she wakes up.

Moon stood up from where she was leaning against the roof, stepping forward. “You ready to go?”

Lillie turned to her girlfriend, her emerald eyes practically glowing, her soft hair blowing slightly in the breeze, reflecting the moonlight so that it looked silver instead of blonde. “Yeah, I’m ready.”

Moon blinked a few times before shaking her head to get out of her stupor. “R-right!” She held out a hand. “Do you trust me?”

“Wha- of course I do- wait. Did you just-”

“Quote Aladdin? Yes, yes I did.”

“Moon you dork.”

“I’m your dork~”

“Yes you are” Lillie took Moon’s hand. The trainer pulled the taller girl closer, wrapping her arm around her waist. She gave Lillie a quick kiss on the cheek before stepping away and taking a Pokeball from her jacket pocket.

“Nebby, give us a ride!”

The Moone Pokemon crooned before swooping into a position where Moon could climb on their back. She hopped on before holding out a hand to Lillie, who took it and, slightly reluctantly, joined Moon on Nebby’s back. Once they were comfortably and safely settled in, Nebby slowly glided away, into the sky.

Nebby gave the girls a full tour of Melemele Island. Soaring over towns and fields, flying low over the ocean. Lillie leaned over their shoulder, dipping her fingers into the soothingly cool waves, giggling as she did so.

After finishing with their tour, Nebby spiralled around Ten Carat Hill, coming to a stop perched at it’s very peak, facing the sun that was just starting to rise.

Lillie stared, fascinated. She’d only watched a sunrise once in her life, when she was really young. Her mother always had a strict routine around when she woke up and when she slept - one that her body clock hadn’t quite adjusted from yet. Gladion had woken her up one night and dragged her outside to watch the sunrise. It was one of her fondest memories of that part of her life.

But as Lillie was mesmerised by the sunrise, Moon was mesmerised by the sight of her own sunshine.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK this ended up being longer than expected so it took a bit longer to finish than I thought but it's done now so here ya go!

Nebby came to a stop outside Moon’s window, which had been left open. Moon slipped inside before helping Lillie to slide through as well and returning Nebby to their Pokeball.

Now that they were back on solid ground, Lillie released Mystic from his Pokeball. Shinku hopped off Moon’s shoulder, where he had been perched for the whole journey. Lillie hadn’t even noticed the Moonlight Pokemon.

Moon strolled over the TV, where her Nintendo Switch was sitting in it’s dock. Lillie remembered how much Moon anticipated it’s release, buying one the day it came out and getting as many games as was available at the time. The trainer looked over her shoulder at Lillie, who had settled down on Moon’s bed.

“What do you wanna play?”

“Hmm...how does Mariokart sound?” Lillie couldn’t help but give her girlfriend a lovestruck stare as Moon’s eyes immediately lit up. Lillie knew Mariokart was her favourite game to play with other people but she didn’t anticipate just how adorable her reaction would be.

“W-what? What is it?” Moon asked, confused about the stare Lillie was giving her.

“You’re just so adorable~”

Moon blushed before turning away, putting the cartridge into the console and grabbing the Joy-Cons, giving one to Lillie as she sat next to her. Not the most conventional angle to watch the game, but they were comfortable and they could see the screen well enough.

They weren’t sure how long they played, Moon shouting various profanities at the TV as Lillie tried to get her to calm down. Lillie barely moved at all throughout the game, while Moon practically moved around the entire bed, at one point even lying on her back with her head hanging off the edge of the bed and playing upside down, sticking out her tongue in frustration only to slip off the bed when she was kicked out of first place at the last second.

“A-are you O-OK, Moon?” Lillie asked through her laughter. She was replied with an annoyed groan, which only made her laugh more. Moon rolled over, moving the rest of her body off the bed and lying on her side on the ground for the next race, despite Lillie’s insistence that she get up.

A few hours later, Moon’s mother came in.

“I thought I heard someone up here.”

Moon froze in her spot, Lillie taking the initiative to pause the game as the trainer looked away, chuckling awkwardly.

“H-hi Mum”

“Hello, ma’am...”

“Hello Lillie, it’s lovely to see you,” the older woman said politely, before turning back to her daughter who was currently lying across Lillie’s lap. “Care to explain how she got here?”

“U-uh...well...um...”

“It’s my fault, ma’am.”

“Lillie?”

“I had a nightmare and texted Moon about it, and she ended up coming over and bringing me back here,” Lillie explained sheepishly.

“Don’t worry dear, you did nothing wrong,” Moon’s mother comforted the blonde. “Moon?”

“Y-yeah?”

“Why did you think that sneaking Lillie out of her home and back to yours would be a good idea?” she asked.

“...iiiiit seemed like a good idea at the time?”

Moon’s mother sighed. “I’ll call the professors and tell them that Lillie is safe. They’re probably worried.”

“O-oh...” Lillie looked away, disappointed in herself. “I’m sorry.”

“Tell them I’m sorry too,” Moon said, staring at a spot on the wall, downcast. “I shouldn’t have been impulsive like that.”

Lillie petted her hair. “It’s alright Moon, you didn’t mean any harm.”

“She’s right,” Moon’s mother added. “You’ve learned your lesson, haven’t you?”

“...yeah...” Moon said bashfully.

Her mother smiled at her. “I’ll leave you two alone now. I’m about to start making breakfast, I’ll call you down when it’s ready.”

“Thank you ma-am!” Lillie said as the older woman left the room, shutting the door after her.

Moon sat up, her back towards Lillie. “Sorry...”

The blonde put a hand on her girlfriend’s shoulder, prompting Moon to glance behind her briefly. “It’s really alright. It’s not a big deal, and if I didn’t want to join you I would have just said ‘no’.”

Moon sighed and turned around. “Still, I shouldn’t have been so...extra.”

Lillie chuckled, raising a hand to hold Moon’s cheek. The trainer glanced up at her, puzzled for a second before leaning forward, Lillie meeting her half way in a kiss. Moon shifted closer, wrapping her arms around Lillie as the taller girl placed her other hand on Moon’s waist. They stayed like that for several minutes, occasionally pulling away to breathe before reconnecting.

Eventually, Moon pulled away, lying back on Lillie’s lap and gazing up at her. Lillie’s cheeks were slightly blushed as she smiled down at her, her emerald eyes glistening. Moon felt her own cheeks lighting up as she met her gaze was a loving stare.

“We should probably get back to the game,” Lillie commented after a few moments. Moon sat up, stretching as she grabbed her Joy-Con, Lillie doing the same and unpausing the game.

A few moments later, Moon had an idea.

A sly look on her face, Moon leaned over and gave Lillie a quick peck on the cheek. The blonde’s grip on her Joy-Con loosened in her shock, which Moon immediately took advantage of, snatching the controller away.

“Wha-Moon!” Lillie reached over but Moon managed to keep it out of reach, struggling, but managing, to play the game one handed. Lillie lunged across the bed behind Moon and reached out for the Joy-Con, just barely missing it as Moon stood up and bolted to the other side of the room. Lillie ran after her and Moon dodged and dived out of the way around her bedroom, somehow managing to evade her girlfriend in such a small space.

Then, Moon tripped.

The trainer stumbled, and would have caught herself if not for Lillie crashing into her, sending them both tumbling to the floor.

Lillie pushed herself up onto her hands and knees, looking down at Moon who was sprawled underneath her. It didn’t take either girl very long to notice their rather...compromising position, with Lillie straddling Moon’s waist, one hand on either side of Moon’s head, effectively pinning her down.

Moon blushed and said the first thing that came to mind.

“Going a bit fast, aren’t we?”

Lillie froze, her breath hitching.

**_“H-heh, going a little fast, aren’t we?” it grinned, attempting to somehow mask its terror. It wasn’t fooling itself, and it clearly wasn’t fooling her._ **

**_She could sense its fear._ **

**_She immediately thrust a tentacle at her victim’s face, who barely managed to dodge. Its eyes widened, she could hear its heart pounding as it once again chuckled nervously, attempting to put on a brave face. “Y’know, you’ve broken a lot stuff in my room lately.”_ **

**_She wasn’t really listening to it. She didn’t care._ **

**_She just wanted to kill it._ **

**_She heaved the tentacle out of the floorboards, raising it again. She did not intend to miss again-_ **

“Lillie, snap out of it!”

She was in the same position as she was in that flashback, or memory, or dream, or whatever it was. Except this time the girl underneath her showed nothing but concern in her expression, her eyes watering slightly. Lillie could feel tears slipping down her own face, her heart pounding but starting to slow down gradually.

She... She wanted to hurt her.

She wanted to kill her.

She _tried_ to kill her.

She almost _succeeded_.

Lillie knew this of course. She’d always just somehow known. She had little to no true memories of her actions while she was under the poison’s control, but somehow she knew what she had done to other people and Pokemon. It just...never truly dawned on her. Not even in her nightmares.

She didn’t know how, but what she just saw in her mind wasn’t a dream. It happened. She hadn’t felt any remorse, any regret, she hadn’t even seen Moon as human, she just saw her as prey, yet another creature to kill in cold blood, she meant nothing to her, Moon was terrified, trying to act calm, making jokes, trying to get through to her, failing-

“Lillie!”

Lillie collapsed onto Moon’s chest, burying her face into her clothes.

“I’m sorry, I’m so so sorry I hurt you I, I tried to kill you and I didn’t even care I didn’t feel anything I just wanted to kill you I’m so sorry I’m sorry I’m so sorry Moon-”

“Lillie, it’s OK...” Moon held her girlfriend close, rubbing her back. “You don’t have to apologise, it wasn’t you-”

“THAT DOESN’T MATTER!” she screamed, sobbing, “What if I had killed you? It wouldn’t matter whether I meant it or not, you’d still be dead!”

“But I’m not dead!”

“But-”

“Lillie, look at me!”

Lillie raised her head slightly, gazing at Moon through the tears. Moon held her face in her hands, forcing her to look her in the eyes. “I’m here, Lillie. I’m alright.”

“B-but-”

“Lillie,” Moon sighed. “I know you don’t remember it, but...at one point, you did care. I begged you to stop, and you did, you hesitated, you fought.”

“But I-”

“No more ‘but’s,” Moon cut her off. “You weren’t in control, it wasn’t your fault. You didn’t mean it, and I really don’t think you could ever kill me.”

“I...” Lillie gave Moon a bittersweet smile, choking back tears. “Oh god, oh Arceus I-I’m so sorry, I, I keep doing this, I-”

“It’s alright,” Moon cut her off. “I forgive you. I just want you to be alright, no matter how long it takes.”

Before she even knew what she was doing, Lillie leaned down and firmly pressed her lips against Moon’s. The trainer froze for a moment before leaning into the kiss, wrapping her arm around Lillie’s waist. The blonde pulled away for a second, grabbing onto Moon’s other hand and linking their fingers together before continuing the kiss. Moon tasted salty, and Lillie knew she probably tasted even more so as stray tears dripped down her face onto Moon’s. Lillie pulled away for a moment, her face red - she wasn’t sure whether it was from the crying or the kissing.

“God I love you,” she said, squeezing Moon’s hand, while placing the other around her waist. Moon pulled her closer, their bodies practically pressed together, Lillie still straddling Moon.

“I love you too.”

Overwhelmed by passion, Lillie dove back into the kiss, tilting her head before running her tongue along Moon’s lips. The trainer moaned slightly before opening her mouth slightly, letting Lillie in. Neither of them had ever kissed like this before, and they didn’t entirely know what they were doing. Still, it was electrifying. Their tongues danced, delicate, not wanting to go too intense for fear of overwhelming each other. They barely remembered to pull away occasionally for breath, before diving back in.

Eventually, they pulled away for real, a string of saliva connecting them as they panted for breath. Moon lay sprawled underneath the blonde, flushed bright red, panting for breath. Lillie felt her own face light up as she gulped, immediately pulling away and standing up, looking away and fiddling with her hair.

“That...that was...”

“Amazing,” said Moon, sitting up and looking up at her girlfriend lovingly. Lillie’s face grew even redder and she turned away again, reaching for her hoodie and pulling it over her face as much as possible. She felt a gentle grip around her wrists, pulling her hands away from her face and lightly kissing her on the cheek.

“You are so damn cute.”

“M-moon...” Lillie glanced at Moon briefly before looking away again. “You’re...rather adorable yourself...”

Moon blushed slightly before laughing, pecking Lillie on the lips before lowering their hands.

“Come on, breakfast should be almost ready.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writer's block sure is fun :D
> 
> Seriously though, sorry this took so long to come out.

Moon sighed as she sat next to the window, eyes closed, listening to the rain falling on the glass as thoughts swam in her head.

She hadn’t been able to stop worrying about Lillie. Of course, she knew she was probably just being paranoid - Lillie can take care of herself after all - but after seeing...whatever that was earlier...

It seemed the Poison Incident affected her more than Moon thought it had.

Perhaps she’d just stopped trying to hide it - they did make that agreement to let each other know if they have any bad nightmares. Before that, Lillie had been keeping some of this, this _trauma_ to herself, but now she had no reason to hide it anymore, but did that mean that it was always this bad? Maybe Lillie just distracted herself and repressed it so much that it wasn’t as bad before but now it is?

Either way, Moon desperately wanted to help her. She couldn’t bear to see her girlfriend like this, torn apart over guilt for something that was never her fault in the first place. But...well, Moon’s never been good with emotional stuff, never been able to provide comforting words (although Lillie would probably disagree), and she had no idea what to do...

The bathroom door clicked shut as Lillie stepped out, once again wearing one of Moon’s t-shirts and tracksuit pants. Moon, too wrapped up in her thoughts, barely noticed the blonde walked over and sit next to her on the couch.

“Moon?”

Moon jumped slightly. “Y-yeah, what’s up?”

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine, just...” Moon looked down at her lap, where her hands were fidgeting, “Just thinking.”

“About what?”

“Nothing, it’s not important.”

Lillie gave Moon a concerned glance before letting it go. “If you insist...”

For a few moments, the girls sat in silence. Originally, it was planned for Lillie to go home straight after breakfast, but halfway through the meal it started raining and only continued to get heavier. Of course, the professors were more than happy to let Lillie stay with Moon for the day (a little bit too happy for Moon’s liking), and so Lillie was allowed to stay.

“You know, at times like this, I kinda miss Kanto,” Moon muttered.

“Hm? Why is that?”

“At this time of year, it would be snowing. I mean, not that I don’t like the rain, but the snow is so much prettier and nicer...”

Lillie smiled softly. “Yes, I remember when it snowed for the first time when I was staying there. I’d barely seen any snow before, and I’d never had the chance to stop and play in it, so it was a whole new experience for me.”

“I wish I could’ve been there...”

“Aww, Moon,” Lillie leaned over so that she was resting her head on Moon’s shoulder. “I know you feel bad about not being able to join me in Kanto, but it’s fine, really! I understand that you have your own duties as Champion.”

“I know, I just...hate that you had to be alone for so long.”

“I wasn’t alone, I had my Pokemon, remember?”

Moon chuckled a little, turning her head to kiss Lillie on the forehead. “Yeah, you’re right.”

 

 

For a while, the two sat in silence, Lillie’s head on Moon’s shoulder as the trainer held her close. Lillie was just starting to fall asleep when the silence was disturbed by the front door opening.

“I swear, it’s raining Littens and Rockruffs out there!” Moon’s mother exclaimed as she dumped the shopping bags on the floor, shaking out the umbrella before putting it back on the rack to dry properly.

“Welcome back, ma’am!”

“What did you get?” Moon asked - the older woman had just left with barely a word a few hours ago.

She lifted up one of the bags and took out a bar of chocolate - Lillie recognised it as Moon’s favourite brand. “Treats!”

Moon’s eyes immediately lit up, and Lillie knew that if she wasn’t on top of her, the Champion would be running over to snatch the treat right out of her mother’s hands.

“WOOO!”

“Wait, what for?” Lillie asked.

“Well-” the older woman picked up the other bag and put both bags on the counter. “Since Lillie will be staying here for most of the day, I thought we could have a nice day in!”

“Ah, I didn’t mean to be a bother-”

“Don’t apologise! We love having you here!” Moon interjected, giving Lillie a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Of course!” her mother agreed. “After all, you’re like family!”

Lillie fell silent. “...family?”

Moon’s childish energy all but disappeared, settling down into a comforting warmth. “Of course. Us, Hau, Gladion, the professors, we’re all just a big, weird, happy family!”

Moon’s mother walked over, holding a bag of mints. “If I recall, you were quite a big fan of these when we had them at Halloween, right?”

Lillie nodded, taking the bag from the older woman and staring at it for a second. Her eyes started to get watery as a silent tear fell down her face.

“Lillie!? What’s wrong?” Moon panicked.

“N-nothing, it’s just-” Lillie wiped her eyes. “My own mother never...she never did anything like this. She doesn’t even know what my favourite food is...”

Without another word, Moon’s mother wrapped her arms around Lillie. “Oh, you poor child...I can’t imagine what it must have been like for you...”

“I-it’s alright, really...” Lillie choked out, struggling to hold back more tears. “I-I’m just not used t-to this, that’s all.”

“Lillie...” Moon put a hand on Lillie’s shoulder, not quite sure what to say.

Lillie closed her eyes and forced herself to take deep breaths, counting along in her head. Breathe in...1...2...3...hold it...breathe out. In...1...2...3...hold...out... Eventually, she managed to calm herself down, not wanting to break down in front of Moon and her mother. Not now.

“I-I’m alright now,” she murmured, wiping her eyes.

“You sure?”

Lillie nodded. “I’m...sorry about all this.”

“Don’t be sorry, dear” Moon’s mother said, pulling back but keeping a hand on the blonde’s shoulder. “Let me change into something more comfortable, and then we can all watch a movie together, alright?”

Lillie nodded, giving a shaky smile. “T-that sounds great, thank you.”

As soon as the older woman left the room, Lillie collapsed back onto the couch, drained. She almost didn’t notice Moon giggling, but she really didn’t mind - she knew she didn’t have to hold back her emotions around her girlfriend.

“You OK?”

“Yes, yes I’m fine...”

Moon gave her a concerned look. “Are you sure? It seems like there’s something else on your mind...”

Dammit, why did Moon have to be so observant all the time?

Lillie sat silent for a second before taking a deep breath. “I was just...reminded of something, that’s all.”

Moon sat up straight. “You wanna talk about it?”

“Not really, but I probably should.”

“You don’t have to-”

“No, it-” Lillie sat up too. “It’s alright. I need to get it off my chest, at least.”

Moon nodded, keeping silent to allow Lillie to speak.

“You kind of remind me of your mother...”

Moon blinked in surprise. “What do you mean?”

“Your kindness, your willingness to help...your playful attitude and teasing,” Lillie grinned momentarily.

“Hey, I know you love me for it!”

“Of course I do,” the grin disappeared as quick as it appeared. “But it...reminded me of something. Something my father used to say.”

She took another deep breath. “He always said that I looked just like my mother...and that I acted a lot like she did when she was younger. They knew each other since they were kids, you know? He said I was just like her - kind, gentle, sweet...but...”

“But?”

“...but what if I’m like her when I’m older as well?”

Moon reached out to put a hand on her shoulder. “Lillie-”

Lillie pulled away sharply. “What if I’m more like her than I thought, what if I hurt you? I don’t- I don’t want to be like her!”

Moon pulled Lillie into a close embrace, just as the blonde started to have a panic attack. “You won’t! I know you won’t!”

“But what if I-”

“You won’t. I trust you.”

“B-but...”

“Lillie,” Moon leaned back so she could look Lillie in the eye. “You won’t end up like her. I know you won’t. You’re a wonderful person, I could never see you acting like that. Lusamine is cruel, and manipulative, and I know you could never be anything like that.”

“But I _have_ been cruel! When I was poisoned, I-”

“THAT WASN’T YOU!”

Lillie flinched at Moon’s shout, before immediately regretting it, knowing she made Moon feel bad.

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell-”

“It’s alright, you’re just trying to help.”

“Lillie...” Moon sighed. “I hate not being able to help you more. I love you so much and it hurts me to see you like this.”

“Moon...”

The trainer leaned forward, kissing her girlfriend on the forehead and wiping her tears. “You’re not a monster. You’re not your mother, Lillie.”

“...but, but I’m-”

“Beautiful, kind, amazing, the cutest girl in the world?”

“M-Moon-” Lillie started to flush pink.

Moon leaned forward, grinning. “Confident, strong, amazing, a pure ray of sunshine, a great kisser-”

Lillie covered Moon’s mouth with a hand, blushing and giggling. “Alright, I get it, I get it!”

Moon just gave her a lovestruck grin, relieved she could make her girlfriend smile again. Lillie removed her hand before giving Moon a quick kiss on the lips.

“Thank you, Moon. I love you.”

“I love you too, Princess.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is pretty short but the next one is going up in just a few days so it's fine

Soon, Moon’s mother came back from her room, dressed in a long sleeved t-shirt and tracksuit pants. Lillie had a feeling she had purposely taken a long time to get changed so as to give her and Moon some space.

Within the next five minutes, Moon was scrolling through Netflix as her mother brought over 3 bowls stacked with popcorn, placing two of them on the ground in front of the girls (along with a bag of mints and a few bars of chocolate) and sat down on the couch with her own bowl.

“Hey Lillie, what do you wanna watch?” Moon asked.

“O-oh, um, I’m not picky...”

“No, you should choose! You’re the guest!”

“W-well, I, um,” Lillie looked away shyly. “I don’t really...know any movies...Mother never let me or Gladion watch anything other than educational videos.”

“Oh...surely you’ve seen _some_ movies at least?” Moon's mother asked, concerned.

“Yes - Gladion would sometimes steal Dad’s laptop and bring it to my room late at night,” she giggled at the memory. “But it wasn’t very often. And eventually he got caught. It was a shame - he really wanted to watch Nightmare Before Christmas but we never got the chance-”

“WAIT WAIT WAIT-” Moon interjected. “You mean you’ve never seen Nightmare Before Christmas??”

“N-no? Is that bad?”

“CURSE YOU LUSAMINE- THAT’S IT WE’RE WATCHING IT”

“I-is it really that big of a deal?”

“NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS IS A MASTERPIECE AND PART OF OUR GENERATION’S CULTURE AND THE FACT THAT YOU HAVEN’T SEEN IT IS A TRAVESTY”

Moon’s mother laughed at her daughter, whispering to Lillie that it’s best to play along at times like this (as if Lillie didn’t already know that) as Moon scrolled through the films until the found the one she wanted.

 

 

Lillie nearly had a heart attack when Moon suddenly started (very loudly) singing along to the intro song. Regardless, her enthusiasm was adorable - it was one of the things Lillie loved most about her - as the trainer posed and did different voices throughout the song, practically dancing along (her mother made a mental note to show Lillie those photos she has of Moon doing just that as a little kid).

When the song was over, Moon relaxed again, panting slightly from the exertion of moving so much while singing so loudly. Lillie quickly took the chance to put her head on her shoulder, wrapping an arm around the shorter girl. Moon jumped slightly out of surprise before relaxing.

“That was pretty cute, you know?” Lillie whispered. Moon looked away sheepishly, ignoring the slight heat in her cheeks.

 

 

Moon continued to softly sing along to all of the songs (they had the subtitles on (in case any of their Pokemon decided to make a ruckus) but Lillie had a feelings she knew them all off by heart) throughout the movie. Lillie even found herself singing along to some parts, especially during Sally’s Song.

“If you’d shown me this a year ago, I would’ve related a lot to Sally...”

“Hm?”

“She’s in love with a guy who has no idea and keeps doing reckless, dangerous things, and she thinks she has no hope with him...” she glanced up at Moon. “Sound familiar?”

Moon blushed again. “Yeah, but it turned out you totally had a chance with me the whole time!”

“She was in denial for ages though.”

“MUM!”

“Didn’t you say you only figured it out fairly recently with Kurone’s help?”

“IT WASN’T THAT RECENT-”

“I can imagine,” Lillie said with a teasing grin. “Moon never was good with feelings.”

“LILLIE NOT YOU TOO”

Lillie just smiled as she booped Moon’s nose. “Cute.”

“Lillie, not in front of Mum!” Moon whined, blushing.

“No, no, keep going, just pretend I’m not here~” the older woman added from the couch.

Lillie grinned and gave Moon a quick peck on the lips, thankful they had closed the blinds so that her blush was obscured.

 

 

By the end of the film, the couple had emptied both bowls of popcorn and eaten almost all of the treats, and were now leaning against the couch. Moon had her arm around Lillie’s shoulder, while Lillie’s arm was around Moon’s waist as they both softly sang along to the last lines of the movie.

“ _We’re simply meant...to be..._ ”

Lillie snuggled closer into Moon, her eyes closed as she hummed contently. “You were right - it was a really good movie.”

“Told ya so.”

“We’ll need to show Gladion soon.”

“If Hau hasn’t already.”

Lillie giggled. “Good point.”

Moon briefly gazed up at her mother lying on the couch, and after making sure she was asleep, the trainer nuzzled into the crook of Lillie’s neck. “You’re soft...”

Lillie blushed slightly. “So are you.”

“Hm...if you say so.”

“Well I do say so!” Lillie insisted. “You’re also incredibly cuddly.”

Moon laughed, feeling her own face grow slightly warmer. “Hey, Lillie?”

“Hm?”

“I really love you. Don’t forget that, OK?”

Lillie blinked out of surprise at the sudden seriousness in Moon’s tone, but smiled nonetheless. “Of course. I love you too, more than anything."

Moon leaned up to kiss Lillie on the cheek before settling down on the taller girl’s shoulder again, closing her eyes and drifting off into a light, peaceful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes I know it is june but technically in the timeline of the story it's between halloween and christmas so it's fine
> 
> and if you haven't seen nightmare before christmas then what the fuck are you doing here go watch it


	15. Chapter 15

Moon’s mother smirked as she took the photo, quickly sending it to the group chat between her, Kukui and Burnet. Kukui was quick to respond with a couple of heart emojis, while Burnet asked if the two were comfortable (as if it wasn’t clear from the photo).

The older woman glanced back at the young couple, asleep in each other’s arms as they leaned against the couch. Lillie was entirely wrapped around the shorter girl, their hands linked, while her own daughter was completely slumped over, her head on Lillie’s shoulder and putting all her weight on the blonde. It was a wonder how they managed to fall asleep like that and look so peaceful and comfortable, but they managed to pull it off.

She turned back to her phone, typing a reply with a smile on her face.

 

 

Lillie was the first to wake up, shifting slightly only to realise she was being weighed down by something. Already knowing what it was, she opened her eyes and gazed down at her girlfriend, who’s head had fallen from her shoulder and into her lap as the trainer lay sprawled over her.

Lillie rolled her eyes, kissing Moon on the cheek before gently shaking her.

“Moon, wake up.”

Moon groaned before rolling over so that her back was facing Lillie.

“Come on Moon, I need to get up.”

“nooooo...5 more minuuuutes...”

“Moon, no.”

Moon rolled over, opening her eyes slightly to pout at Lillie. “But you’re so comfortable...”

“Yes, but I kind of need to go to the bathroom, so...”

Moon groaned again, but finally let go of her cuddle buddy and sat up - still pouting of course. Lillie chuckled as she stood up, petting Moon’s head.

“I’ll be right back, OK?”

“Fiiiiine.”

Lillie shook her head as she stood up, not bothering to hide the affectionate smile on her face. Moon could be really childish sometimes, but it was adorable, so Lillie didn’t really mind.

Moon stretched as she silently cursed the human digestive system for disrupting her peaceful sleep. She took a quick gaze at the clock to see that it was late in the afternoon - they must’ve slept for a couple of hours. She could hear it still raining outside, but it had gotten a lot lighter.

Moon shivered slightly as she realised it had also gotten a lot colder.

Her mother came downstairs, holding an empty mug. “I thought I heard voices down here. About time you woke up,” she joked, sitting on the couch.

“Yeah, Lillie had to go to the bathroom so she woke me up,” Moon whined, already missing the additional body heat that her girlfriend had provided. “It’s cold though.”

“I keep telling you to wear something warmer instead of complaining about the cold.”

Just as she said that, Lillie stepped out of the bathroom.

“Why would I do that when my girlfriend’s so much warmer?” Moon asked as she rushed over and pulled Lillie into a tight hug, nuzzling against her cheek.

“M-moon!” Lillie started to blush at the blatant show of affection right in front of Moon’s mother.

“Sorry, sorry,” Moon pulled away, holding Lillie’s hand and dragging her back to the couch. “Seriously though, aren’t you cold?”

“I guess I’d gotten used to it back in Kanto,” Lillie replied sheepishly.

Right, Lillie had only returned to Alola earlier this year - this was the first winter she’d be spending here in two years.

“Although, that does give me an idea!” Lillie exclaimed before letting go of Moon’s hand and quickly heading upstairs for a few seconds before coming back with a single Pokeball. She released Fireball and whispered something to the Fox Pokemon before he lay down, curled up and spreading out his tails. Lillie quickly sat down between the tails and snuggled in.

“It’s really warm! I did this all the time back in Kanto when it got cold!”

Moon slowly approached, carefully sitting down amongst Fireball’s tails, careful not to hurt him.

“Woah!” Out of nowhere the Ninetails wrapped two of his tails around Moon and made her lie down next to Lillie, who giggled. Fireball just smirked at them both.

“Oh wow this really is warm,” Moon said, the heat of the fire type’s soft fur banishing the chill.

“I know! I was very grateful to have Fireball while I was travelling Kanto.”

“You caught him pretty early on, right?”

Lillie nodded. “Before I even got my starter Pokemon. I saw Fireball being shouted at and kicked by his old trainer because he lost a battle - I stood up for him and took him to the Pokemon Centre. After that he wouldn’t leave my side.”

As she told the story, the blonde had started to slowly pet one of Fireball’s tails.

“Once we got a bit stronger, I went back and found Fireball’s old trainer and challenged him to a battle. I was a bit nervous, it was the first real battle I’d ever had against another trainer, but we won fairly easily,” Lillie smirked with satisfaction at the memory. “And we proved to him that Fireball was far from useless.”

The Fox Pokemon softly growled in agreement.

“I’m just glad I could help him, you know?” Lillie’s voice grew quiet. “It hurts me that people treat their Pokemon that way. That trainer had some good Pokemon, but he treated them horribly and they were very weak as a result...

“I guess I know how they feel in a lot of ways. I want to help them. I suppose that’s why the Aether Foundation was created in the first place.”

“You always have been protective of Pokemon in need,” Moon said quietly. “From running away with Nebby to saving Fireball. Even when you were scared and unable to defend yourself, you were still so brave.”

Lillie blushed, hiding her face in one of Fireball’s tails. “It wasn’t that brave...I was really just acting on instinct. I just...couldn’t let Nebby continue getting hurt.”

“Are you kidding me, I could never do something like that! I’m nothing without my Pokemon!”

“Hey, that’s not true!” Lillie protested. “Didn’t you have that whole fight against Faba? You dodged all those bullets while still holding me!”

“I guess...wait how did you know that?” Moon asked. “I thought you were unconscious...”

Lillie turned bashful. “Not..entirely. I wasn’t exactly...awake per say, I was more...shifting in and out, I suppose-”

“Hold on, hold on, hold on,” the conversation was interrupted by Moon’s mother, who had been so silent that the couple almost forgot she was there. “What’s this about bullets?”

Lillie gave Moon a deadpan look.

“You never told her, did you?”

“L-Look, it was already over by the time she found out and I didn’t see much point in worrying her-”

“MOON YOU WERE SHOT. MULTIPLE TIMES, SHOULD YOU NOT BE TELLING YOUR MOTHER ABOUT THIS KIND OF THING”

“YOU WERE SHOT!?!?”

“Lightly shot. I didn’t want to alarm you.”

“THAT’S NOT A THING MOON” Lillie protested, crossing her arms and looking away. “I can’t believe you, you can be so reckless sometimes...”

Moon settled down, looking concerned. “I-I’m sorry Lillie, I didn’t mean to, I just...”

Lillie sighed, turning back around and moving close enough to Moon to snuggle up to her. “I know, and I’m sorry. I just...I worry about you. You mean so much to me and...”

Moon held her girlfriend close, sensing how close the blonde was to crying. “I know, I’m sorry too. I just didn’t want you to get hurt, and I didn’t mind getting hurt if it meant you’d be safe.”

“Well, at least the Aether Foundation helped fix you up and get you to a hospital,” the older woman sighed. “I swear one day you’re gonna give me a heart attack.”

Moon didn’t even try to deny it. “Honestly? I would gladly die a thousand deaths just to make Lillie smile.”

“Please don’t,” Lillie muttered as she flushed bright red, hiding her face. Moon just laughed as Moon’s mother shook her head in disapproval and mild concern.

“Seriously, though,” Lillie pulled away slightly to look Moon in the eye, giving her a stern look. “Please don’t put yourself in danger for me.”

“But-”

“Please, Moon. You know I’ll never forgive myself if you get hurt because of me...” Lillie gently placed her hand on Moon’s arm, where a scar from one of Faba’s bullets still remained. “Not again...”

“Lillie-”

“Sorry, I know I worry too much-”

“No, no, I understand,” Moon cut off her apology. “You’re right, and I’ll try to stay out of trouble, but...I’m not gonna stand aside to save myself if you’re in danger.”

Lillie closed her eyes, sighing. “I suppose that’s the best I can hope for.”

 

 

“Thanks for taking care of her for us,” Burnet said, Kukui by her side as they waited for Lillie to come downstairs.

“No, I should be apologising!” Moon’s mother responded, smiling brightly while putting an arm around Moon’s shoulder so she couldn’t escape. “I’m sorry for the trouble Moon caused!”

“S-sorry,” Moon ask, withering under her mother’s stare.

“Ah, don’t worry about it, cousin!” Kukui waved it off. “I doubt Lillie minds! She’s welcome to stay over here whenever she wants.”

“And Moon can stay at the lab whenever she wishes as will,” Burnet added.

“Thank you for the offer,” Moon’s mother replied, just as Lillie came down the stairs, having changed back into her own clothes and heading into the living room to wake Fireball.

“With how much these two visit each other, maybe Lillie should just live here from now on!” Kukui joked.

“I think you underestimate how much you two mean to her,” Moon said. “You’re like the parents she never had...especially you, Burnet. You even remodelled your loft so she could have a proper bedroom! You’ve been there for her ever since she first washed up with Nebby, and you immediately took her in and helped her. She loves you two just as much as her real family.”

Moon turned and looked at Lillie, who was struggling to convince Fireball to wake up and get in the Pokeball. The Ninetails was almost as stubborn as Moon when it came to waking up, it seemed. With a huff, Fireball stood up and stretched before Lillie retrieved him into the Pokeball and rushed over.

“Besides,” Moon’s mother added with a smirk once Lillie was in hearing range. “I’m not sure Moon would want to have to share her bed every night - it is pretty small after all.”

“If it’s Lillie I wouldn’t mind,” Moon said quietly.

She looked around in confusion as the adults started laughing, Lillie going red.

“...shoot, I said that out loud, didn’t I?”

“Yes, yes you did,” Lillie sighed, kissing Moon on the cheek. “Don’t worry about it.”

“S-shouldn’t you get going? It’s getting late,” Moon turned away, flushed bright red.

Lillie smirked, feeling uncharacteristically bold as she grabbed Moon’s arm and leaned forward to whisper in her ear. “Why are you so embarrassed? It’s not like you usually have problems flirting with me in front of people.”

“I-I-I, uh-”

Lillie pulled away with a blush, giggling. “Sorry, sorry! You’re just really cute when you’re all embarrassed!”

“Lilliiiiieee”

The room was filled with a mix of laughter and ‘aww’s as Moon found herself craving death.

“Lillie why”

“Sorry, sorry,” Lillie gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “I know you love me anyway.”

Moon finally stopped hiding her face as she smiled softly at her girlfriend. “Of course I do.”

“Hey, I have an idea!” Kukui interjected. “We’re a bit busy tonight, but if she wants, Moon can come sleepover tomorrow night!”

Moon’s eyes lit up as she turned to her mother.

“CAN I CAN I CAN I”

“Of course you can,” the older woman chuckled before turning back to the professors. “Thank you so much.”

“It’s no problem at all,” Burnet reassured her. “We should get going - as Moon said, it’s getting late.”

Lillie gave Moon one last kiss on the cheek before stepping over to stand beside the professor’s in the hallway. “Thank you again for having me! And thank you for helping me after my nightmare, Moon. Even if you went about it in a somewhat...unorthodox way, I really do appreciate it.”

“Anytime, Princess.”

“Come over whenever you feel like.”

Lillie nodded, waiting for the professors to leave before stepping out of the door, followed by the two residents of the house who stood on the porch as Lillie ran over to the path before turning back to them.

“Thank you again!” she called out as she waved goodbye. “Oh and, Moon?”

“Hm? What is it?”

Lillie’s tone softened. “I love you.”

Moon gave her a lovestruck smile as she waved back. “I love you too.”

As the trainer watched wistfully as her girlfriend walked away, her mother couldn’t help but smile. For as much as she teased the couple, she really loved seeing them together, and seeing just how smitten her daughter was only cemented the idea. Moon was always there for Lillie, and although she may not realise it, Lillie had done a lot for Moon too. Even when they were in different regions, oceans apart, they were inseparable. They were perfect for each other.


	16. Chapter 16

Lillie took a deep breath as she held the phone to her ear, hoping that the recipient would pick up. She tightened her grip on the railing of the porch outside the professors’ lab, listening to the sound of the waves to calm herself down.

There was a quiet beep as the call went through, the recipient speaking in a weak voice.

“Hello?”

Lillie breathed a sigh in relief, already calmer that she even got a response. “Hello, mother.”

“Ah, Lillie. It has been a while since I have heard from you.”

“Yes, it has. I apologise for that.” Lillie silently cursed at herself. Over the past few years she’d become a lot more relaxed, something that was reflected in her manner of speaking, but around her mother she always seemed to regress into that same formality.

“I suppose you have been busy...”

“Yes, you could say that.”

“How is your brother?”

Right, it had been a while since Gladion had gone back to Kanto to check up on her. Lusamine had become a lot stronger the past year or so.

Only a few months after Lillie and Lusamine had moved to Kanto, the older woman was almost completely cured from fusing with the Nihilego. Unfortunately, she was left incredibly weak, only waking to eat - and even then, for a while she was limited to foods that required low amounts of effort, like soup. She was too unstable to travel to a hospital, but doctors would often visit to help take care of her.

As she began to grow stronger, Lusamine began to be less than friendly towards other people. She was bitter at being defeated, at coming so far only to fail at the hands of a mere child, and she felt the need to lash out. Or at least, that’s what she showed people.

Lillie had overheard her mother talking to herself at night, when she thought nobody was listening, telling herself that she was a horrible person, everything was her fault and she was a terrible mother. The worst part was that Lillie couldn’t exactly say she was wrong.

She got better after a while though, and was now recovering nicely. She was still mostly bedridden, and when she did walk it was with the help of a cane, and she couldn’t get very far. Still, she was sitting up straight and had gone from hostile to mostly unresponsive. It was at this point that Gladion offered to take over, seeing as Lillie had been away from home for so long and everybody was missing her.

According to Gladion though, last time he saw her she was a lot better, able to hold proper conversations (albeit slowly - she took a lot of time between words and it took a few moments for her to process and understand things). Only now had Lillie had the chance to talk to her and see just how much she had improved.

“Lillie?”

Lillie snapped out of her thoughts, shaking her head. “O-oh, my apologies, I got distracted. Gladion has been well!”

“How about you?”

Lillie hesitated for a moment. Since the last time her mother had seen her, things had been a little... _hectic_ , for lack of a better word. She’d experienced some of the worst couple of months in her life - and she wasn’t even conscious for half of it - and the scars from that time (both mental and physical) still haunted her every night.

But at the same time...she wasn’t alone. She was able to rekindle the friendships that had weakened over the time they were apart, with no trouble at all. She’d grown closer to her long-time crush and in the end, if there was one good thing to be said about that dark time, it was that she got a girlfriend out of it.

And the past month or so had been the happiest moments of her life.

“A lot has happened, but I am...very happy at the moment.”

Lusamine seemed to go silent for longer than she usually did between sentences. Lillie hoped she hadn’t noticed her lovestruck tone.

“I see...I was worried.”

“Worried?”

“About the Poison Incident.”

Lillie froze up. “H-how did you know about that..? I mean, I know it was all over the news, but I didn’t think anybody would have told you, not with your current mental state-”

“Nobody told me...I went into the kitchen to get a drink, and it was on the television.”

For a moment, Lillie forgot about the current conversation topic. “Wait, you got a drink? By yourself?”

“Yes. I am able to walk around the house much easier now.”

“Mother, that’s fantastic!”

“Thank you...I was worried. I did not wish for you to be hurt like I have hurt you before...”

“Mother, it’s alright. You weren’t yourself. I know you blame yourself for everything that happened, but I forgive you, and deep down I know Gladion does as well.”

“Thank you.”

For a moment, Lillie stopped. She knew she should tell her mother the truth - about the Poison Incident, and the things she did - but she just...couldn’t. She couldn’t bring herself to say it even though if anybody deserved to know it was her mother, who had been in a similar situation (although the solution for her turned out to be much easier), but no matter how many times she opened her mouth to speak, she couldn’t get the words out.

‘ _I guess I’ll always be a coward._ ’

“Lillie.”

“Hm?”

“I...will always love you. Even if I forgot for a while...I am sorry. You are my beautiful daughter and I will always love you.”

Lillie felt herself start to tear up. “M-mother...”

“And...I will never judge you for any of your choices.”

“Huh?”

“I know how much you care for that girl...her name was Moon, correct? Gladion has been sending me photos and telling me stories. He is a sweet boy, even though he never admits it.”

“Yeah...” Lillie couldn’t help but grow nervous about where this conversation was heading.

“I have seen the way you look at her. I want you to know that I will never treat you differently for who you choose to love.”

“M-M-MOTHER!” Lillie went bright red, panic blossoming in her chest. “I’M NOT-”

“Trust me...I used to look at your father the same way. My friends would always make fun of me for it...I know you love her.”

Lillie opened her mouth to deny it, before stopping. Lusamine had just said she didn’t mind, right? And she does deserve to know...she is her mother after all. It was embarrassing, but...she had no reason to be panicked.

“Y-yes...you’re right. I do.” Lillie started murmuring, growing even more embarrassed. “We are...actually already in a relationship...”

“That is wonderful! I am happy for you.”

“Y-you are?”

“Of course. We both...owe a lot to that girl. I cannot think of anybody I would approve of more for you.”

Lillie felt herself start to cry again, both out of relief and joy. A few years ago, her mother would have been horrified at the idea of her dating another girl. She would have been so mad, and Lillie shuddered at the thought of what she would have done to her as a result.

“T-thank you, Mother,” she stuttered, wiping her eyes. “You don’t know how much that means to me.”

“How is Moon, by the way?”

“Great! She’s coming over for a sleepover tomorrow - you could talk to her yourself if you want!”

“That would be nice.”

Lillie couldn’t help but be overjoyed as she continued talking to her mother about everything and nothing at all. She could barely remember the last time they had been so relaxed - the last time that Lusamine had really felt like ‘mother’ to her. She couldn’t stop the smile on her face if she tried.

The pair continued talking until well after the sun had gone down, until eventually Kukui came out and told Lillie it was time to get ready for bed.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, had a bit of writers block during the last part and it stumped me for a while orz

Lillie sat on the couch, eagerly awaiting Moon’s arrival. The trainer had texted her about 2 minutes ago saying she was on her way, and knowing Moon it wouldn’t take her long to walk (or run) the short distance between her house and the lab.

Just as Lillie went to check her phone for the 17th time, there was a knock on the door.

Burnet reached the door first, opening it and greeting Moon with a smile.

“You’re early,” she said with a smirk as she took Moon’s bag.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Moon replied, sheepish. “I just-woah!”

As soon as Moon’s hands were free, Lillie jumped into her girlfriend’s arms in a tight embrace.

“H-hi, Lillie,” Moon chuckled, returning the hug. Lillie quickly realised she may be holding on just a little bit too tight and let go, still smiling.

“What was that all about?” Moon asked. “You only saw me yesterday!”

Lillie grew embarrassed, chuckling sheepishly. “Well, it’s just been a while since we’ve had a sleepover...and I’m always happy when I get to spend time with you,” she replied, voice getting softer with every word as she grew more embarrassed.

“Awwww,” Moon cooed, petting Lillie’s head (despite the blonde being taller). “How sweet~”

“Moon please”

“Sorry, sorry,” Moon stepped back at Lillie’s annoyed glare. “Seriously though, you’re really cute.”

Lillie rolled her eyes, hoping her blush wasn’t visible (it was). “You’re so cheesy.”

“I know you love it.”

“A-anyway, we should probably stop standing in the doorway,” Lillie quickly changed the topic, stepping out of the way so Moon could enter the building.

Moon smiled at Lillie as she walked inside, waving to Kukui in greeting.

“Thanks for having me over, I know you can get pretty busy.”

“Don’t worry about it, cousin! We’re happy to have you here!”

“And we know you’ll be sleeping in Lillie’s bed anyway, so we’re not worried about you taking up space,” Burnet added from the loft where she’d put down Moon’s bag.

“It’s true but you shouldn’t say it,” Moon retorted with a light blush. She’d grown used to the teasing but it was still embarrassing.

The Murkrow who lives in the lab flew over, landing on Moon’s arm.

“Hey buddy, how’ve you been?”

“CAW”

Moon flinched slightly from the loud cawing in her ear before lightly scratching Murkrow’s feathers. It cawed again before flying back up to the loft. Seconds later, Moon felt the distinctive painful scratching of a Rockruff rubbing it’s neck against her leg.

Lillie watched as Moon bent down, scratching Rockruff’s ears as she greeted him, the Puppy Pokemon barking happily, his tail wagging. Moon always had that sort of connection with Pokemon - it was part of what made her such a great trainer. Her bond with her Pokemon is probably the main reason that she’s been able to hold the title of Champion for so long.

Moon stood up as Rockruff ran over to the couch, sitting down and looking at her.

“Jeez, I barely get through the door and they’re all over me!”

“It has been a while since you’ve come over,” Kukui put a hand on her shoulder. “They probably missed you!”

Lillie nodded. “I often talk to them about you - they love hearing about you and how you’re doing!”

“You talk about me?”

Lillie quickly back-pedalled, flushing in embarrassment. “I-I mean, I don’t- I, um-”

“Oh yeah absolutely!” Kukui smirked at Lillie, who went pale. “She’s always loved talking about you!”

“H-he’s making it sound worse than it is,” Lillie stammered. “I didn’t talk about you _that_ _much_ -”

“Oh, she _absolutely_ talked about you _that much_ ,” Burnet added, immediately jumping on the bandwagon.

“YOU MAKE IT SOUND LIKE I WAS CREEPILY OBSESSED OR SOMETHING”

Moon simply grinned, putting an arm around Lillie’s shoulder. “Do tell me more!”

“Moon please-”

“When she first met you, she was...how should i say...entranced” Burnet mused.

“I WAS NOT-”

“She was amazed at your kindness and bravery, and how you were able to be so confident. She was really impressed!”

“She also said you were really pretty,” Kukui added.

Moon just blushed slightly as Lillie pulled her hood up to cover her face and groaned.

“Funnily enough, she rarely talked about your skills as a trainer, but you as a person,” Kukui said. “She really admired how you’d be so quick to fight for what you thought was right, how quick you were to put your own safety on the line to protect her or Nebby.”

“As well as your bond with your Pokemon,” Burnet added with a small smile.

Moon turned to her girlfriend, who’s mostly-covered face was now bright pink. “You really said that stuff?”

Lillie nodded, pulling her hood down. “I...You know I used to hate battling...I couldn’t stand watching any Pokemon get hurt. But, seeing how much you supported your Pokemon, and how much they cared about you...”

“Lillie...”

“She totally had a crush on you since day 1.”

“I DID NOT-”

“One time she fell asleep while writing in her diary,” Burnet smirked. “I couldn’t help but take a quick peek after seeing all the hearts she’d scribbled on the pages.”

“WHAT-WHEN DID YOU-I DID NO SUCH THING!”

Moon couldn’t help but smile, her chest feeling lighter than ever. She’d never imagined Lillie could feel that way about her, but to know that she was so smitten even when they first met...

Out of nowhere, Moon pulled her girlfriend into a tight hug.

“M-Moon?”

“Lillie you are so fucking cute I love you so much”

“I-I love you too,” Lillie muttered, caught off guard.

Moon put Lillie down, keeping her arms around her waist. “So, what’s the plan for today? Got anything in mind?”

“Well...not really, but...”

“Hm?”

“Mother’s going to call later, she wants to talk to you.”

Lillie didn’t miss Moon immediately tensing up, but acting calm for her sake. “Why? I didn’t think she’d want anything to do with me,” Moon asked coldly.

Lillie sighed. She had a feeling Moon wouldn’t respond too well to this. “Moon, she’s different now. I talked to her last night, she’s doing so much better than I expected! She wants to thank you for everything you’ve done to help us!”

Moon was silent for a few moments before sighing. “If you’re sure...”

“Thank you.”

“I’m sorry, I just- I can’t bring myself to forgive her. After everything she’s done to you...everything that’s ever gone wrong in your life is her fault...” Moon took a shaky breath, forcing herself to calm down. “Sorry, I know I need to try harder-”

“No, no, I understand! I’d be just as upset if I was in your position!” Lillie put a hand on Moon’s back, grabbing her hand. Moon held on tightly. “She really is better though! She’s like...like how she used to be. Before Dad left.”

“Really?”

Lillie nodded, moving her hand from Moon’s back to wipe away tears that had started to form. “I just- really missed her, you know? I’m just so relieved that she’s alright...”

Moon gave her a small smile. “Yeah...OK. I’ll try and give her the benefit of the doubt...”

“Thank you. It means a lot to me - I know you never really liked her, even before you knew the truth.”

Moon just chuckled sheepishly. “Yeeeaaah sorry about that.”

Lillie shook her head. “Don’t be. It was nice to know that there was at least someone who saw through her.”

“What can I say? I tend to notice small details like that,” Moon bragged.

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah! For example,” Moon smiled at Lillie. “You have the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen,” she said, throwing in a wink for good measure.

Lillie rolled her eyes, pushing Moon away so she wouldn’t see her blushing. “Moon I swear to Arceus you are so cheesy.”

“No, I’m serious!” Moon insisted. “When I look at people, the one detail I notice the most is their eyes. Not just the general colour, but the exact shade, the small details, the emotions reflected in them.”

“Really?”

“Yep.” Moon nodded, holding Lillie’s hands. “For example, Hau’s eyes are always full of energy. They’re grey, but the almost seem to reflect the world around him. They sorta remind me of the sun - which I guess makes sense, given Hau’s personality.

“Gladion’s eyes are more...harsh, I guess. You and him have the same eye colour, but on him it looks more fierce, like some kind of glowing green poison. At the same time, when he smiles, they look really gentle - you can see the emotion and sincerity when he’s happy, even when he doesn’t show it.”

“You can tell all of that?”

Moon nodded. “It’s how I knew I could trust Gladion when you got kidnapped by Team Skull and the Aether Foundation. I could tell he wasn’t lying, that he wanted to help you just as much as I did. It’s...also part of why I didn’t trust Lusamine. It was hard to identify, but she just had this...look, I guess.”

“I see...that’s impressive!”

Moon looked at Lillie. “And your eyes? They’re the prettiest I’ve ever seen.”

Lillie blushed, now realising how much that compliment actually meant.

Moon reached up to brush a lock of hair out of Lillie’s face, gently holding her cheek. “They’re like, this beautiful shade of green, like emeralds. And when I look closely, it seems like there’s little traces of gold too...it makes them look like they sparkle. They’re gentle, but at the same time, you always have this certain look in your eye. This...determination, it’s so unique to you and I love it.” Moon kissed Lillie on the forehead. “I love you.”

Lillie was bright red at this point. She grinned before jumping onto Moon, knocking her onto her back as the blonde hugged her, giggling at Moon’s shout of surprise.

“You’re so sweet, you know that?” Lillie pulled away from the hug briefly to give Moon a kiss on the forehead. She leaned back down to whisper in Moon’s ear.

“I’ll give you a proper kiss later, OK?”

Lillie couldn’t help but burst into laughter at how quickly her girlfriend’s face went from pink to bright red. Moon glared at her - or at least tried to.

“Jeez, don’t tease me like that...”

“Who said I was teasing?”

Moon froze up again, and Lillie couldn’t help but giggle at how cute it was.

“Stooop,” Moon groaned, embarrassed, which simply prompted Lillie to laugh more.

“But you’re just so cute!”

“Noooo,” Moon lazily pushed Lillie away, looking away to hide her face.

Lillie giggled again before sitting up and moving to the other end of the couch, letting Moon sit up too. 

“Thank you,” Lillie sighed, pulling Moon into a soft embrace. “For giving Mother a chance, I mean. I know how hard it is for you, it means a lot to me.”

Moon, sighed, releasing some of the tension as she returned the hug. “Anything for you, Princess~”

“That’s so cheesy.”

“I know!”

Moon giggled as Lillie groaned, hiding her smile.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long - this is a pretty long chapter though so hopefully that helps make up for it!

Moon sighed contently as she sat down on the sofa bed. Lillie was downstairs getting snacks, so Moon took the opportunity to look around the extended loft.

Once Lillie returned from Kanto, she asked Kukui and Burnet if perhaps she could continue living with them. Of course, they were overjoyed, immediately taking her under their wing just like when she first showed up with Nebby. Realising this was going to be a more permanent residence, the professors decided that she needed more than just a sofa bed in a small loft with no walls or privacy.

They built an extended area near the back of the room, which spanned from the end of the loft to the end of the opposite wall. The area had a wall of it’s own, along with a large window with curtains that could be shut.

Inside the room was a double bed, a proper desk with a computer, a dresser, and everything else one could need in a bedroom, as well as a few bonuses. One side of the room was slanted, with a window that could be opened - Moon grinned sheepishly as she remembered coming through that window in the middle of the night to take Lillie back to her place without letting the professors know. Strange how that was only a couple of nights ago.

The original loft was mostly the same, with the main addition being a TV in front of the couch with a PS4 connected to it and a coffee table in front of the sofa bed. Right now Moon was waiting for Lillie to return with snacks so they could watch a movie.

Moon’s thoughts were interrupted by Lillie’s Pidgeot, holding a bag of food in his talons and setting it down on the table. Moon walked over to him, petting his head.

“Good job Sky.”

Sky cawed, flying back over to sit on the fence at the edge of the loft. Moon looked down to see Lillie struggling to figure out how to carry a bowl of popcorn up a ladder. Moon reached out.

“Need a hand?”

Lillie jumped slightly before looking up at her, smiling as she held up the bowl. Moon took it from her, settling it down on the table as Lillie made her way up the ladder.

“Thank you, Moon.”

“No problem,” Moon responded, smiling brightly at her girlfriend. Moon noticed another bag over Lillie’s shoulder. “What’s that?”

Lillie blushed slightly. “W-well, um,” she put the bag down on the table. “I kind of bought these on impulse, but...”

Lillie pulled out two onesies - one resembling an Umbreon, the other an Espeon.

“I thought maybe we could...match?” the blonde asked, embarrassed.

Moon couldn’t stop smiling at how adorable Lillie was.

She walked over to her girlfriend and gave her a tight hug. “I love it, thank you.”

Lillie sighed in relief. “I was hoping you would say that.”

Moon pulled away, grabbing the Umbreon onesie. “I’ll go downstairs and change, I’ll be back in a few minutes,” she said, heading down the ladder.

A few minutes later, Moon came back up, pleasantly surprised at the softness of the onesie. Lillie emerged through the door separating the main loft and her bedroom, also wearing her Espeon onesie. She had released Mystic, who was looking at her curiously. The onesie was a little bit big on her, the sleeves falling past her wrists.

Moon chuckled at how cute it was, failing to notice that her own onesie was even bigger on her.

Moon dug through her bag and grabbed 5 of her Pokeballs, releasing all Pokemon except Nebby (who was far too big to fit in that section of the house).

Kurone stretched with a roar, Tsubasa spreading her wings and flapping them a few times before folding them again. Moon knew that two of her biggest Pokemon sometimes felt a little cramped in their Pokeballs, but what could she do?

Shinku, Kakusu and Chisana were much more energetic. Chisana immediately bolted off to run around the house, closely followed by Kakusu. Shinku walked over to Moon, looking over her onesie before nodding and running over to Mystic, greeting him with a soft headbutt. The ring on Shinku’s forehead glowed momentarily, Mystic’s gem doing the same, before they pulled away from each other with a nod.

After their customary greeting, the two Eeveelutions walked over the couch, settling down near the armrest. Moon settled down on the other armrest, half-lying on her side as she grabbed the remote and flicking through Netflix.

She turned to Lillie, who was just standing in the corner awkwardly.

“You OK?”

“Y-yes! Of course!”

Moon gave Lillie a concerned look before shrugging, motioning for Lillie to come over. Lillie hurried over, settling down in Moon’s lap and lying on her back, watching the TV as Moon wrapped her free hand around Lillie’s shoulder.

“What do you wanna watch?”

Upon the lack of a response, Moon gazed down at Lillie again, who seemed distracted.

“Lillie?”

“Hm?”

“You sure you’re OK?”

“Yes, I’m fine!” Lillie smiled, looking lovingly at her girlfriend.

“Then what’s on your mind?”

“I just...still can’t believe this is real, you know?” Lillie muttered. “I mean, I know it’s been weeks at this point, but...well, I never thought we could be like this.

“I was always so nervous and weak, needing protection, getting in your way. I got you roped up in my family issues, and after everything I just abandoned you to go to another region. I never thought you could ever feel the same way about me that I did about you...”

“Lillie...”

“Sorry, I was rambling there, wasn’t I?”

“Maybe a little,” Moon chuckled putting the remote down to fully embrace the blonde. “But it’s endearing, so don’t worry about it.”

Lillie blushed slightly.

“And I feel the same way. I mean, you were always just so pretty and kind and watching you grow into such a confident, incredible person? How could I not fall in love with you?”

Lillie’s blush grew darker. “Moon...”

“I thought you left for Kanto because you didn’t wanna be around me. I mean, I knew you just needed to help your mother, but I still felt like I did something wrong, y’know? So for us to be here like this...” Moon held Lillie closer. “It means so much to me...I just really love you...”

After a few moments, Lillie got up, turning around so that she was practically straddling Moon, their faces inches apart.

“I love you too,” she said softly, closing the distance between them. Moon wrapped her arms around Lillie, pulling her closer so that the taller girl was lying on top of her.

Lying on top of Moon like this, Lillie couldn’t help but think back to the kiss they shared yesterday (was it really only yesterday?). It was...well, to be completely honest, it was incredibly embarrassing for her, having initiated the whole thing. But it was also...really nice. And Moon had certainly seemed to agree...

And she _did_ promise Moon a ‘proper kiss’ later on...

Lillie pulled away, keeping her face close to Moon’s, but far enough apart to look her in the eye. She gently placed a hand on Moon’s cheek before reconnecting their lips.

After a few seconds, Lillie gently licked Moon’s lips, expressing her intentions and asking permission. Moon froze for a second out of shock before immediately reciprocating, easing her own tongue into Lillie’s mouth and chuckling at Lillie’s squeak of surprise.

Grasping Moon’s hand in her own, Lillie tilted her head, deepening the kiss. She moaned softly, instantly becoming embarrassed and pulling away. Moon just chuckled before pulling her back down. Lillie didn’t resist as she moved her hand from Moon’s face to her waist, Moon wrapping her free arm around Lillie’s back.

Lillie pulled away, mildly overwhelmed, her lips tingling, heart pounding, but happy. Moon gazed up at her, utterly lovestruck, looking at Lillie like she was the most beautiful thing in the world (which, from Moon’s perspective, she was).

The two stayed there for a minute, Moon sprawled on the couch with Lillie on top of her, still holding each other’s hands, breathing heavily, faces burning red. Moon smiled, prompting Lillie to follow suit, laughing breathlessly.

“W-wow...” Lillie murmured, her brain short-circuiting.

“Yeah...” Moon smiled. “You’re...amazing, Lillie.”

If Lillie wasn’t already super red, she was now. She giggled, laying on top of Moon and snuggling up to her. “You are as well.”

Moon held Lillie tight (briefly looking over her shoulder to see that Mystic and Shinku had thankfully given them privacy) before giving her a soft kiss on her forehead.

“So, should we go back to choosing a movie?” Moon asked, turning away out of mild embarrassment.

“Probably,” Lillie giggled, getting up so that Moon could sit up and reach the remote. She looked around for a few moments before getting up, walking over to the wall concealing her bed and looking around the corner. Immediately her eyes lit up, and she motioned for Moon to come join her.

Looking around the corner, Moon saw Shinku cuddling up with Mystic, who had his tails wrapped around him. Both Eeveelutions were fast asleep.

“I’ve never seen Shinku so relaxed like that...at least not with a Pokemon other than my own team...” Moon muttered.

Lillie smiled. “Mystic’s always been like that. His psychic abilities allow him to read others’ emotions and figure out how to comfort them.”

“I don’t think I’ve heard of an Espeon doing that before...he’s a pretty smart Pokemon,” Moon gave Lillie a kiss on the cheek. “You raised him well.”

Lillie shook her head. “I really didn’t do all that much. It was all Mystic.”

“Eh, good point,” Moon shrugged. “Still, though, he couldn’t learn to do all that without your help. You’re his trainer!”

Lillie blushed slightly, looking away. “I suppose you’re right...”

Moon stepped away, stretching as she walked back over to the couch. Lillie followed, sitting next to her and resting her head on her girlfriend’s shoulder. Moon put an arm around her as she looked through the options, asking Lillie to speak up if she saw anything she wanted to watch.

_RING, RING! RING, RING!_

“S-sorry! That’s my phone, I’ll go get it,” Lillie apologised, getting up to grab her phone from her bed. Moon sighed, wondering if they’d ever get around to actually watching a movie.

Lillie disappeared behind the wall, leaving Moon alone and already missing her girlfriend’s warmth. Moon tapped her fingers on her legs, looking around, trying to find something to occupy herself. She couldn’t help but smile as she gazed around the loft. It used to just be a small space with a sofa bed for guests, but now she could clearly see Lillie’s personal touch around the room.

She remembered how excited the blonde had been when she told her that the professors were taking her out to shop for furniture for her new room - Moon didn’t think she’d ever really _had_ her own room that she customised herself.

Moon stood up, stretching. She walked over to the balcony, checking up on her Pokemon who were now far quieter than they were when she first let them out.

Kurone was sitting on Kukui’s couch, seemingly asleep with the professor’s Rockruff on his lap. Chisana and Kakusu had collapsed next to them, exhausted from their game of tag. The Pikachu was fast asleep, cuddling the embarrassed Mimikyu close and nuzzling the costume’s head. Tsubasa was perched with Sky and Murkrow on top of the water tank, the trio quietly chirping at each other.

Moon turned around when she heard footsteps to see Lillie coming back around the corner, covering her phone with her hand.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Mother,” Lillie murmured. “She wants to talk with you, is that OK?”

Moon stiffly nodded, ignoring the tightness in her chest as she stepped forward and reached for the phone.

“Are you sure about this?” Lillie asked, evidently having noticed Moon’s hesitance.

Moon nodded again. “I promised you I’d give her a chance, remember?”

Lillie smiled as she held out the phone, Moon taking it and holding it to her ear.

“Hello?”

“Oh! Hello there, Moon...”

“Uh, yeah, hi,” Moon responded, noting how weak the woman sounded and already feeling incredibly awkward.

A few seconds passed in silence before Lusamine spoke again.

“I...understand this must be...difficult for you. I am sure you are still...upset...over what happened 2 years ago...”

“...yeah.”

“It is alright...I also would be upset...I do not expect you to forgive me. I have yet to forgive myself...”

“Really?” Moon asked, kind of shocked to hear that the woman actually felt bad for what she had done.

“Yes...I hurt both my children so much...I said such cruel things...and you risked your lives to save me from my own selfishness...I do not deserve to be forgiven,” the woman lamented, her voice soft and mellow.

Moon sat down on the couch, conflicted. Lusamine had sounded so regretful, and it all felt genuine, but... “Yeah. You did. You really hurt Lillie especially.”

“I know...”

“But...she still forgave you,” Moon smiled slightly. “And she says you’ve been getting better. I trust her. So I’ll try and trust you.”

“T-thank you...” Lusamine stuttered with a gasp, shocked that Moon would give her a second chance so easily.Moon smiled at Lillie as the blonde sat down next to her, beaming.

“So...you wanted to talk to me?”

“Yes...I wished to apologise...but also...I wanted to thank you.”

“Thank me?”

“For rescuing me...for being there for my children...especially for Lillie. I know how happy you make her...”

Moon grew sheepish. “W-well, I mean, she makes me happy as well...”

Lusamine chuckled softly - Moon almost didn’t hear it. “I am glad to hear it...I am...happy that she has you...”

“T-thanks...”

“T-that reminds me...I also wanted to tell you that I...approve of your relationship-”

“W-WHAT, WHAT RELATIONSHIP THERE’S NO RELATIONSHIP”

Lillie laughed, taking the phone for a second. “My apologies, I forgot to tell Moon that you are already aware about us.”

Moon grew more embarrassed as she heard the older woman laughing. She sighed as she took the phone back, trying to cool her burning face.

“S-sorry about that...” she apologised.

“No, no, it is quite alright..! I have not laughed like that in...well...I honestly do not remember...”

“Well, uh...you’re welcome, I guess...”

“However, I meant it when I said that I approve...I am grateful that Lillie has somebody like you...”

“Y-yeah,” Moon stuttered, still embarrassed to be having this conversation.

“She really loves you...I can tell...”

Moon blushed looking at Lillie and grabbing her hand. “Yeah...”

The sound of a door opening and closing could be heard from the other end. “Ah, that must be Bill...I will leave you alone now...I have intruded on your sleepover enough.”

“Yeah, OK...do you want me to hand you back to Lillie?”

“Yes please.”

Moon handed the phone over, listening as Lillie said goodbye to her mother before hanging up with a smile. Moon relaxed, releasing the tension in her shoulders as she leaned back and slumped into the sofa. Lillie automatically leaned back next to her, leaning her head on her girlfriend’s shoulder.

“I’m proud of you.”

“Hm?”

“You handled that really well,” Lillie explained, wrapping an arm around Moon’s waist. “I know how hard it is for you to forgive her...”

“It got easier as we kept talking,” Moon replied, reaching up to stroke Lillie’s hair. “I could tell she was being genuine. You were right...she’s gotten better.”

Lillie hummed contently. “Sorry for not warning you that she knew about us. I had planned to tell her together but she kind of figured it out on her own...”

“It’s cool, don’t worry about it,” Moon reached for the remote, just managing to grab it without having to get up. “Come on, let’s watch a movie.”


	19. Chapter 19

Moon absentmindedly stroked the Rockruff in her lap as she reached forward for another slice of pizza. Lillie was sat next to her, ruffling Murkrow’s feathers. The professor’s Stufful and Snubbull sat on the other couch while Polywhirl had just come upstairs and was approaching the coffee table, curious about the scent.

Burnet was over by the water tank, feeding the Luvdisc along with Corsola, who was sitting next to it. Kukui walked over and sat down next to Snubbull with a sigh.

“Long day?” Moon asked.

Kukui nodded. “The Aether Foundation keeps asking me to do more research on Ultra Beasts for them,” he said, grabbing a slice. “I feel like I’ve been hit with a Confuse Ray...”

“Perhaps you should go to bed early tonight?” Lillie offered.

“Nonsense, cousin!” Kukui beamed. “We’ve got a guest! No way I’m missing out on this!”

Moon looked around the crowded room, seeing all the Pokemon in the lab along with her and Lillie’s own sharing a dinner, pizza boxes and plates of malasadas scattered around the room. “So, is dinner always like this?”

“Pretty much, yes,” Lillie replied, holding her slice of pizza in the air as Murkrow attempted to peck at it (apparently forgetting that it can fly). “Sometimes Kukui lets out more of his Pokemon as well - like the ones that you battled for the title of champion!”

“But we thought that might get a little bit crowded,” Burnet said, sitting down next to her husband.

“It’s cool that you all eat together like this.”

“We didn’t always,” Burnet said. “Kukui and I were often busy so dinner was a lot less communal.”

“So what changed?”

“Well...” Burnet looked over to Lillie. “We had a new member of the household who tends to get lonely...and we wanted her to feel like she had a family here.”

Lillie turned away, sheepish. “You really didn’t have to...”

“Nonsense!” Burnet put her arm around Kukui’s shoulder. “We’re grateful! Dinner is a lot more enjoyable now, and we all get to spend time together!”

Moon felt her heart swell, able to tell just how much the professors cared about Lillie, as if she truly was their own daughter. And looking at her small smile and the soft shine in her emerald eyes, Moon could tell how much happier she was, finally feeling like she had a family.

Moon reached over and put a hand over Lillie’s. The blonde jumped slightly, startled, but returned the gesture with a smile. Rockruff whined, tapping Moon’s face as if to ask why she stopped petting him.

“I think Rockruff might be a little jealous!” Kukui laughed.

With a chuckle, Moon resumed petting him with her free hand. “Jeez, I only have 2 hands y’know!”

Rockruff didn’t pay her any attention as he wagged his tail, flopping onto his side on Moon’s lap, asking for tummy rubs. Lillie giggled as Moon complied, taking her other hand from her girlfriend’s to tickle Rockruff’s stomach, causing him to laugh and yelp, rolling around. When Moon finally removed her hands, Rockruff rolled over onto his stomach, panting for breath. Lillie booped his nose, prompting him to pout at her.

“Sorry, sorry,” Moon apologised, petting Rockruff on the head (Lillie could tell from her tone that she was certainly not sorry).

Lillie lifted Rockruff onto her own lap, scratching behind his ears, giggling as his tail roughly thumped against her leg. “This is his favourite place to be pet,” Lillie explained as she moved her left hand onto his back and stroked his coarse fur. “Seems like somebody’s due for a bath!”

Rockruff barked happily, standing on his hind legs to lick Lillie’s face. “Easy boy, easy! That tickles!”

“Rockruff really likes you, huh?” Moon asked.

“Well, I have been living here for quite a while, so I suppose it makes sense,” Lillie replied, Rockruff barking in agreement.

“Lillie often takes care of the Pokemon in the lab!” Kukui added with a grin. “They’re all pretty attached to her! ”

“W-well, I know you and Burnet are often busy, it’s really not a big deal!”

“It’s a huge deal!” Kukui argued. “I could always use an extra Helping Hand!”

Lillie grew embarrassed at the praise, looking away sheepishly. “I-I suppose...”

Moon put an arm around the blonde’s shoulder. “That’s my Lillie alright!”

“Mooon...” Lillie groaned, embarrassed. Moon kissed Lillie’s forehead as she pulled her closer.

“You’re too kind for your own good.”

“Well...I just want to try and bring some good into the world!” Lillie said, sheepish. “Especially after how my mother used to be...”

“But what about your own happiness?”

“I’m happy helping other people!” Lillie smiled, looking at Moon. “And you make me happy as well!”

Moon pulled her in for an enthusiastic hug. “You always know what to say to make me happy!”

“Moon!”

Kukui laughed, glancing at his own wife. “Kinda reminds you of us when were younger, yeah?”

Burnet nodded. “You were just as cheesy as Moon is.”

“Hey, hey, that’s a little harsh!”

“OK rude,” Moon added from where she had paused in her smothering of her girlfriend.

“I don’t mind,” Lillie said, wriggling out of Moon’s grasp to kiss her on the cheek. “It’s cute!”

Moon blushed slightly, chuckling.

“It’s getting late, you two should go get some rest,” Kukui said, pointing towards the clock hanging from the wall.

“Yeah, I guess...” Moon sighed, stretching with a yawn. Lillie stood up, taking Moon’s hand and pulling her to her feet.

“Make sure you get some rest, too!” Lillie scolded. “I know you’ve been very busy lately, you need to get a good amount of sleep!”

Kukui chuckled. “Yeah, yeah, have fun you too!”

The couple blushed slightly, knowing Kukui probably didn’t mean it in a suggestive way but thinking of it none-the-less.

“Well, uh, g’night!”

“Yes, goodnight!”

 

 

 

“It’s nice here.”

“Hm?” Lillie turned from where she had been giving her Pokemon their nightly Pokebeans, looking over to her girlfriend, who was sitting on her bed.

“You’ve got a family here,” Moon elaborated. “And it’s really homely.”

Lillie smiled. “Yes...I am incredibly grateful to the professors for taking me in.”

“Me too,” Moon said. “I can tell you’re happy here.”

Lillie retrieved her last Pokemon before walking over and sitting next to her girlfriend, taking her hand. “You care too much.”

“Hm?”

“You should worry about yourself more...instead of somebody like me...”

“Wait, what do you mean ‘someone like you’?”

Lillie froze, looking away. “N-no, it’s nothing, forget I mentioned it.”

It was easy to tell that Lillie was hiding something, but Moon didn’t want to push her, so she let it go for now.

“Well, we should probably get some sleep,” Moon stated, lifting up the covers and waiting for Lillie to lie down before joining her.

Lillie’s bed was a lot bigger than Moon’s, but Moon still snuggled up as close to Lillie as she could. She wrapped her arms around her, pulling her close so that Lillie’s face was resting in the crook of her neck.

“I’m not sure what’s going on in your head right now, but I’m here for you, and I love you,” Moon murmured, rubbing Lillie’s back. Lillie snuggled closer, tugging Moon closer muttering into Moon’s neck. “Thank you...I love you too...” Moon allowed herself to relax, pushing the worried thoughts to the back of her mind for later, and eventually drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's kinda short but the next one is already written so it'll be uploaded in just a couple days.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took a little longer to get out than expected, I've been really busy recently! Happy late Halloween!

**_A Ninetails jumped in front of her, standing protectively over the human corpse laying on the ground. She smirked, licking her lips, relishing in the taste of the blood staining her face._ **

**_Ninetails flinched as she stepped forward, crouching over the human, shouting at her, a waste of breath, words she wouldn’t listen to even if she could understand them._ **

**_She stepped over the corpse of an Espeon, shooting a tentacle through the chest of a diving Pidgeot, stopped it in it’s tracks as its life rapidly drained. She felt the body slip off her tentacle and land on the floor. She brought the tentacle to her face and licked off the fresh blood, lavishing in the metallic taste._ **

**_Ninetails flinched before firing a Flamethrower towards her. She dodged with ease, dashing forward, avoiding reluctant attacks one after the other until she was right in front of it. She grabbed its head and forced it to look her in the eye as she plunged her tentacles through its chest on all sides, watching with ~~agony~~ glee as the light drained from her precious Fireball’s eyes. _ **

 

 

She awoke in silence, eyes snapping open with a silent gasp. She scrambled to pull herself out of bed, away from here, away from people she could hurt, her foot got caught on the blanket and she collapsed onto the ground. She tried to get up but she couldn’t, she couldn’t stop shaking, she was sobbing, she needed to get away, she was evil, a monster, a killer, she killed them, all those closest to her, her family, her girlfriend, her Pokemon, all of them dead because of her-

She collapsed, unable to hold herself up anymore, breaking down into intense sobs. She could barely breathe, but who cares, she doesn’t deserve to breathe, not when she stopped so many others from doing so! All the pain she felt in this moment, she deserved it, she deserved all of it, she hurt them, killed them, she should be feeling even more pain right now but she was too weak.

She heard the opening of a Pokeball, saw the red glow of an Espeon’s gemstone, felt the psychic type’s presence. She lifted her gaze to look at Mystic, who’s lavender eyes were glowing with concern as he stepped closer.

“NO! STAY AWAY!” she shrieked, scrambling away from him, backing herself up against the wall. The Espeon tilted his head in confusion, stepping forward but stopping when his trainer flinched.

Lillie heard the rustling of sheets, a tired voice calling out.

“What’s going on...”

She turned away, unable to look at the girl who she had murdered so many times in her nightmares. She tried to block her out but her girlfriend’s voice pierced through her thoughts.

“Ohh shit,” Moon muttered. Lillie realised she must’ve been spotted, and curled in on herself even more, trying to hide from everything. She trembled as she heard Moon approaching, flinching as the shorter girl wrapped her arms around her, trying to turn her around.

“Lillie? Lillie, what’s wrong?”

Lillie shook her head, trying in vain to escape her girlfriend’s grasp, wanting to run away, she needed to run away-

“LILLIE!”

She froze, taken aback by the desperation in her girlfriend’s voice.

“Lillie, what happened?”

Lillie pulled out of Moon’s grasp, but didn’t try and run away, instead pushing herself against the wall.

“J-Just, sta-ay away from m-me...”

Moon reached for Lillie’s shoulder. “Lillie...”

“STAY AWAY!”

Moon flinched, taken aback.

“JUST STAY AWAY FROM ME, I’M DANGEROUS, I’LL JUST HURT YOU!”

“Lillie...” Moon slowly moved closer, putting a hand on Lillie’s shoulder. She flinched, tried to back away but had nowhere left to go.

“It’s OK Lillie, it was just a nightmare-”

Lillie shook her head vigourously. “NO! NO I HURT PEOPLE, I KILLED PEOPLE-”

“Lillie-”

The blonde pulled away, wrapping her arms around herself. “I KILLED YOU, I KILLED EVERYONE I KILLED MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND TEAMMATES AND I KILLED YOU AND I KILLED FIREBALL I KILLED MY PARTNER, I’M A MURDERER-”

Moon grabbed Lillie by the shoulders, pulling her into a tight hug. Lillie thrashed, trying to escape her grip, but Moon only held on tighter.

“It wasn’t real, Lillie, you didn’t kill anybody, we’re all OK.”

“B-but-”

“Lillie, look at me,” Moon said, loosening her grip slightly to allow Lillie to lean back. “I’m totally fine!”

“But...”

Moon heard a couple Pokeballs opening behind her, the soft sound of paws and the flapping of wings as Fireball and Sky appeared in front of her. Sky put a wing on Lillie’s back, Fireball sitting next to her and nuzzling the top of her head. She flinched, but didn’t pull away.

“We’re all OK, Lillie. It was just a dream.”

Lillie stayed motionless for a few moments before collapsing into Moon’s arms, wrapping her arms around her, sobbing into her shirt. Moon held her close and Fireball laid on his side, wrapping his tails around the girls in a protective circle.

“I-I’m sorry,” Lillie choked, her voice muffled. “I’m so-so sorry, I ke-keep on doing this-”

“It’s alright,” Moon stroked Lillie’s back. “It’s OK, Princess, I understand.”

“B-bu-but-”

“It’s alright.”

They stayed there for what felt like hours, Moon holding Lillie close, muttering words of comfort as the blonde sobbed, struggling to breathe as she choked on her tears, every time the crying started to slow the guilt clawing at her heart set her off all over again.

Finally, Lillie started to quieten in her cries, pulling away from her girlfriend. Her eyes were puffy and red, her face flushed and tear-stained as Moon gave her a kiss on the forehead.

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

Lillie shook her head. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

Lillie grunted in disagreement, but didn’t say anything.

Moon stood up, helping a shaky Lillie to her feet. Fireball stood up, following the pair, ready to catch Lillie if she fell. Moon helped Lillie onto the bed, never letting go of her until they were both seated on the soft mattress.

Moon rested a hand on Lillie’s back as the blonde glared at the blanket, struggling to hold back further tears.

“Lillie?”

“Why do you put up with all this..?” she asked, almost inaudible.

“What?”

“You deal with all this...this bullshit!” Lillie exclaimed. “Every time I go to sleep I have nightmares and you just put up with it, you deserve better!”

Moon took a second to respond, still in shock at Lillie swearing, before shaking her head.

“What are you talking about? I don’t mind!”

“I hurt people, Moon,” Lillie sighed. “Not just in my nightmares. You’ve seen it - it was all over the news,” she chuckled sadly. “What was it, 57 people hospitalised?”

“Lillie-”

“I even hurt Hau, one of my closest friends,” Lillie looked away. “And I tried to hurt you.

“So I deserve all this. All these nightmares, this guilt,” she sighed again. “In fact, I deserve worse punishment than this.”

“What, no!” Moon wrapped an arm around her girlfriend. “None of that is your fault, you don’t need to be punished! Besides, those people are better now! Only a few people are left in the hospital and they’re recovering really well!”

“That doesn’t change the fact that I hurt them.”

Moon sighed, pulling Lillie close. “That wasn’t you, it was the poison.”

“You keep saying that but how do you know for sure?” Lillie asked, choking back tears. “How can you know..?”

“Because I know you, Lillie,” Moon turned to rest a hand on Lillie’s cheek, forcing her to look at her. “And I know you’d never hurt anybody, even if you wanted to - even then, I can’t imagine you ever wanting to hurt anyone!” “...” Moon leaned forward to rest her forehead against the blonde’s. “You’re gentle, kind, and while you’re not afraid to stand up for yourself, you’d never attack anybody. You’re not a monster, you’re not a killer,” Moon lifted her other hand to rest on Lillie’s shoulder. “You’re my Princess, a sweetheart who cares for everybody, even those who don’t deserve it.”

The corner of Lillie’s mouth tilted up slightly. “You promise?”

Moon kissed Lillie’s nose. “When have I ever lied to you?”

“Various times.”

“Only white lies! Just so you wouldn’t worry! That doesn’t count!”

“...”

“Princess?”

“You’re always protecting me, aren’t you?” the blonde pulled Moon into a loose, but close hug. “Even if it means protecting me from myself.”

“What exactly do you mean by ‘protecting you from yourself’?” Moon asked, feeling a little nervous about her girlfriend’s phrasing.

But Lillie just shook her head. “It’s not important right now...”

“You sure? You can tell me anything, you know?”

Lillie nodded. “I woke you up, right? You should go back to sleep.”

“What about you?”

“...I suppose I can try,” Lillie stuttered, nervous at the idea of going back to sleep and risking another nightmare.

“It’ll be OK,” Moon said, guessing what was on Lillie’s mind. “I’m right here.”

Lillie took a shaky breath before nodding, lying back down on her side, facing Moon as the trainer did the same, facing her. Moon pulled her close, stroking her back calmingly.

“I love you, Lillie. Nothing will ever change that.”

Lillie snuggled closer, hiding from the world by burying her face in her girlfriend’s chest, holding her tight as she said a muffled reply.

“I love you too...”


	21. Chapter 21

Lillie opened her eyes after a dreamless sleep, her own body still pressed firmly against Moon’s. She snuggled closer, drawing comfort from the feeling of her girlfriend’s arms around her. She felt protected, safe.

She didn’t deserve this.

She did so many horrible things, she didn’t deserve this happiness, all she deserved was pain-

Lillie shook her head, banishing the dark thoughts. She couldn’t break down again, she couldn’t disturb Moon with her irrational thoughts twice in a row.

She was fine. Everyone was fine. She had to tell herself that. She had to force herself to believe it.

She was fine.

She noticed Moon stirring and looked up, seeing her slowly open her eyes and gaze into Lillie’s. Moon smiled as she pulled her closer.

“Morning, Princess.”

Lillie smiled. “Good morning.”

“You sleep well?”

“Well enough, I suppose.”

“I’m glad,” Moon sighed, stroking Lillie’s back. “If you ever have a nightmare, please feel free to let me know, OK?”

“As long as you don’t come over in the middle of the night and take me back to your house,” Lillie teased with a roll of her eyes.

“Yeah, yeah,” Moon chuckled, lightly kissing Lillie on the forehead. Lillie looked away, downcast.

“Lillie? Are you OK?”

Lillie jumped a little, before looking back at Moon with a smile that seemed just a little bit forced. Still, Moon didn’t push the issue - Lillie had already had a long night, after all.

Moon yawned, sitting up with a stretch. “Man, I’m hungry! You think the professors will be awake yet?”

“You’re...oddly energetic,” Lillie commented.

“Eheh, guess I just slept well!” Moon lied, not wanting her girlfriend to realise that she’s just trying to distract her from whatever’s on her mind.

Lillie still looked suspicious, but pushed it aside for now, sitting up as well. Moon stifled a giggle at the mess Lillie’s hair had become - which didn’t go unnoticed by the blonde, who pouted.

Moon playfully ruffled her hair, messing it up even more. Lillie grunted as she reached over to do the same to Moon (not that the trainer minded).

Moon noticed tiny footsteps scrambling up the ladder and running across the loft before coming to a stop, high pitched barks giving away the owner. Lillie smiled as she stood up and opened the door, scooping Rockruff into her arms.

“Yes, yes, I know you’re hungry.”

Rockruff barked again, tail wagging as he licked Lillie’s face.

“He-ey!” Lillie giggled, putting him down. “I’ll be there in a minute, alright?”

A couple of quick barks. A snuffling was heard downstairs - Moon recognised it as Snubbull.

“And tell the others to be patient as well,” Lillie added, giving Rockruff a pat before he bolted downstairs. Lillie turned to her girlfriend. “Sorry about that - I usually get up early and feed the Pokemon, but sometimes they get impatient.”

“No worries,” Moon said as she stretched once more before hopping out of bed. “I’m pretty hungry too!”

Lillie rolled her eyes. “I’m sure Burnet will be making breakfast for us soon enough.” “

But I don’t wanna waaaaiiit!”

“Well, you’ll have to,” Lillie stated, turning to pat her girlfriend on the head, who went from a pout to a smile.

Moon pushed forward into Lillie’s arms, holding her close and leaving kisses all over her face. The blonde giggled as she wrapped her arms around Moon’s waist, giving a chaste kiss on the lips before pulling back.

“Come on, we should hurry up before the Pokemon wake up the whole neighbourhood!”

 

 

Moon yawned, her stomach rumbling as she trudged along the path, holding the list Kukui gave her in one hand and rubbing her eyes with the other. Lillie, on the other hand, seemed wide awake, walking with her hands behind her back and humming softly. She watched the clouds as they ever so slowly drifted across the sky, passively taking note of the shape and size of each cloud. Kukui’s Rockruff ran next to them, oddly energetic at 6 o’clock in the morning.

“Why couldn’t we have eaten first..?” Moon groaned.

“It’s more efficient, and it saves time,” Lillie explained. “Besides, breakfast will be ready as soon as we get back!”

“And Kukui couldn’t have come himself?”

“W-well...” Lillie giggled sheepishly. “I suppose you have a point. Still, I’ve been volunteering to do errands like this since I first became Kukui’s assistant!”

Moon groaned again before pausing in place, stretching before forcing herself to stand up straight. “Right, let’s hurry up and get this over with so we can eat!”

Just as she said that, the couple turned a corner, bringing the Pokemon Centre into view. Rockruff ran ahead, stopping in front of the door and barking at the girls to hurry up. Lillie took Moon’s hand as she sped up her walking speed, Moon stumbling at first before keeping pace.

The automatic doors slid open and the girls quickly made their way inside, grateful for the warmth after the chilling morning winds. Christmas decorations hung from the roof and the counters. Nurse Joy said her customary greeting as the girls approached the store counter, Rockruff jumping up and putting his front paws on the counter, hanging off of it.

“Hey there Champ!” the shopkeeper greeted before turning to Lillie. “Picking up another order for Kukui?”

“Yes, thank you,” Lillie replied as Moon slid the list across the counter.

“Oof, this is a pretty big order,” he commented, eyes scanning the sheet of paper before nodding. “Give us about 5 minutes, and we’ll have these ready for you.”

Lillie nodded as Moon groaned at having to wait, starting to look around. Rockruff dropped down to the ground and padded into the main area of the Pokemon Center, looking around the spacious room. Moon followed him with a yawn, watching as he investigated the building.

Moon looked up upon hearing a trill, watching as a Rowlet flew into the main area, holding a paper bag in his little talons. A large amount of his body was wrapped in bandages, just leaving his face, feet and wings free. He hovered in front of a little girl and her mother, a Growlithe standing beside them as he lowered the bag into her hands. The little girl thanked him, and he trilled in response before flying back over to Nurse Joy for pets.

Moon smiled as she walked over, recognising the Rowlet.

“Hey there little guy.”

Rowlet trilled, bumping Moon’s hand with his head.

“Rowlet here has recovered splendidly!” Joy said.

“I’m glad.”

“But why is he still in bandages?” Lillie asked, concerned.

Nurse Joy chuckled. “W-well, he just seems to like them! He wouldn’t let us take them off! We’re trying to see if we can find a scarf or something for him instead, the bandages are worrying a lot of visitors.”

“I see.”

Litten appeared in the doorway to the back area of the Pokemon Center, jumped over the small fence and walked over to the counter, jumping up on top of it and greeting Moon with a meow.

“Hey! Long time no see, huh?” Moon greeted, giving her a pat on the head and a fistbump (or a pawbump). Litten nodded before jumping back onto the floor, curious about the girls’ canine companion.

“Moon, you know these Pokemon?”

“Yeah!” Moon nodded, a lot more energetic than she was before. “I helped save them from...uh...” Moon faltered, looking away.

“She helped them after they both were attacked by that terrible tentacle creature,” Nurse Joy filled in. “Rowlet here was very hurt - hence the bandages - and Litten wouldn’t leave his side. They seem to be like siblings to each other.”

“Oh, I see...” Lillie said softly, looking downcast before forcing a smile. “I’m glad they’ve both recovered!”

Nurse Joy nodded, turning to Rowlet only to notice he had fallen asleep. “Ah, he does tend to sleep a lot though...”

Moon glanced at Litten, who rolled her eyes at her surrogate brother before continuing playing with Rockruff.

“Judging from Litten's reaction, that’s probably normal,” Moon added sheepishly.

“Speaking of Litten, those two sure are getting along, it seems,” Lillie commented, watching as Litten and Rockruff rolled across the floor.

They came to a stop with Rockruff standing on top. He smirked and barked triumphantly before Litten kicked him with her back paws, knocking him onto his back as she scrambled to her feet. Litten took the opportunity to get some distance, running through the main lobby as Rockruff quickly took pursuit.

Litten leaped onto shelves, ducked under tables and weaved through people’s legs with the skilled agility expected of a cat Pokemon. Rockruff followed her step for step, his movements a lot less graceful than the Fire Cat Pokemon’s as he knocked Potions off shelves and bumped into walls. He barked, only to get a smug meow in reply as Litten jumped onto the main counter next to Rowlet.

Clearly, she had underestimated Rockruff’s own agility as he leaped onto the counter and tackled her to the floor behind it, landing on top of her. He barked before Litten growled and flipped him over so that she had him pinned. She mewed triumphantly, only to be caught off guard when Rockruff licked her face. He stood up and nuzzled her with the rocks on his necks, prompting Litten to whine and meow in complaint.

Moon laughed as Lillie cooed at their cuteness. She heard the shopkeeper call to her from the store counter and headed over to fetch Kukui’s order, Rockruff jumping onto the counter and letting Moon pick him up.

Litten jumped onto the counter and sat down, washing her paws and glaring at Rockruff. The Puppy Pokemon barked happily, his tail wagging. Litten’s glare shifted before she gave him a small smile before turning away, walking over and repeatedly prodding Rowlet with her paw.

“You sure like Litten, huh?” Moon asked. Rockruff barked in response, smiling wide.

Lillie came over, holding a large container with a few smaller ones on top.

“Ah, let me,” Moon insisted, putting down Rockruff (who whined sadly) and running over to take the boxes.

“It’s alright, really!”

“At least let me take the big one!”

Lillie sighed, letting Moon take the container (which was surprisingly heavy - Lillie had made it look way lighter when she was carrying it) and taking the smaller boxes from the top.

“It’s really alright, I can carry it!”

“N-no, no it’s fine!” Moon groaned, shifting the box in her hands to make it easier to carry.

Lillie rolled her eyes. “If you insist...”

Weird. Usually Lillie would’ve argued more...

Moon called to Rockruff, who was having a conversation with a less-than-enthusiastic Litten, and he ran over to her side. The couple said their goodbyes as they stepped out of the Pokemon Centre, stepping back into the chilly air.

Moon repeatedly glanced at Lillie as they walked, noticing how distracted she looked. She seemed so...out of it, like her mind was somewhere completely different. Rockruff must’ve noticed too, as he walked close to her, regularly hitting her legs with his tail as if he was trying to ground her in reality.

Hearing the sound of an approaching car, Moon stopped just before the road, Rockruff doing the same.

But Lillie didn’t notice.

In a panic, Moon rushed forward and grabbed Lillie by the waist, pulling her back just seconds before a car sped past. Moon fell onto her back, Lillie on top of her, the boxes she was holding flying into the air as Rockruff darted back and forth in attempts to catch them before they hit the floor along with the large container that Moon had dropped in her panic.

Moon’s breath was heavy, and she could hear Lillie’s was too, feeling her stomach move up and down as she tried catch her breath. The blonde was trembling, shaking in her girlfriend’s arms as the reality of the situation set in.

Rockruff barked worriedly, growing more concerned the more time passed with neither of the girls saying anything.

Lillie sat up, moving to stand but stumbling. Moon caught her and pulled her back down so that she was sitting in Moon’s lap, her back facing her.

“Are you OK?”

“Y-yes...” Lillie muttered. “I’m fine...”

“I know you’re not fine,” Moon argued. “You’ve been distracted the whole time we’ve been walking. If I hadn’t noticed you kept going you would’ve walked right in front of that car!”

“I-I-”

“Do you realise how dangerous that was?!”

“I-I’m sorry-”

Rockruff barked in distress, stopped Moon from saying what she was going to say. She stopped, taking deep breaths and noticing the soft, almost silent sobs coming from her girlfriend.

“No, I’m sorry,” Moon wrapped her arms around Lillie and held her tight. “I-I shouldn’t have yelled at you, I just- I was so scared and- I’m sorry...”

Lillie slipped out of Moon’s now loosened grip, turning around to kneel in front of her. She took her hand.

“It’s alright. I understand.”

“But...” Moon sighed. It wouldn’t do anything to linger on this. “Right...”

Moon stood up, helping Lillie to do the same.“Seriously though. What’s on your mind?”

Lillie looked away, the drop in her mood significantly noticeable. “It’s nothing...”

“Clearly, it’s not.”

Rockruff, sensing the sorrow in Lillie’s heart, jumped up onto her back, lightly nuzzling her and taking care not to hurt her with his rock collar.

Lillie looked around, making sure they were alone before stepped closer to Moon and whispering. “It’s just...that Rowlet...”

Realisation set in. “Oh...”

Lillie simply nodded. “If you hadn’t been there, then...”

“Lillie-”

“How many other Pokemon did I attack? How many did I hurt that never got the help that Rowlet did?” Lillie choked back tears. “How many did I kill?”

Moon didn’t have an answer for that. She didn’t know if any wild Pokemon had died after being attacked by the monster. It could be none. It could also be hundreds.

“I’m sure you didn’t kill anything,” Moon put a hand on Lillie’s shoulder, pulling her closer. “Even without control over your own body, I know you could never do something like that. You would’ve resisted.”

“How can you be so sure?”

She couldn’t. In fact, she couldn’t be less sure. But...

“I just know. You didn’t kill anything, or anyone,” the trainer said before she gave Lillie a chaste kiss. “I promise.”

Moon turned around, picking up the small boxes and holding them out to Lillie. “Come on, let’s get home. I’m starving.”

Lillie blinked a few times before nodding, taking the boxes from Moon’s hands and neatly stacking them to make them easy to carry and Moon picked up her own box. Rockruff jumped down, staying close to Lillie and keeping an eye on her, still worried about his trainer’s favourite assistant.

But as they continued to walk, it was clear that Lillie’s mood hadn’t improved - in fact, it only seemed to be getting worse. And as much as Moon wanted to help, she was running out of ideas.

As the lab appeared on the beach in the distance, Moon realised that maybe it was time she told the professors about her girlfriend’s fragile state of mind.


End file.
